Coming Home
by My.Sweet.Obessions
Summary: Melody killed a man. And she's spent the last four years rotting away in a cell over it. But when the Ark selects 100 prisoners to be sent down to Earth, Melody is given another chance. The 100 are given a new start on Earth; if it's inhabitable after radiation destroyed everything nearly 100 years before. They must fight to survive; and they aren't quite as alone as they thought..
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer_: I do not own The 100 or any of its characters. The only things that I can credit to myself are the original characters, whom are figments of my own imagination and inspired by some of my closest friends, and pieces of the plotline that were not in the show. I would also like to make it clear while that the name "Melody Pond" is used, it is not because this is a crossover of any sort with Doctor Who. The name Melody is simply beautiful, and we're big nerds. Sorry. _

**Chapter One **

Melody Pond killed a man.

She'd like to have said it was an accident, but that was not the truth. Melody had purposefully wielded the blade that would end the life of Doctor Jason Evans. She had been the one to drag the sharp edge of the blade into his throat, slicing him open from left to right. And as the crimson-colored blood poured from the wound and began to pool around her feet, Melody felt no remorse. Only relief.

The young nurse had found the two of them. Melody, leaning against the wall with the bloody scalpel still in hand and the doctor lying in a pool of his own blood. The nurse had screamed, Melody remembered. She'd walked into the examination room and she had screamed and sobbed and shouted at Melody. _Murderer. _That was the word she had used. And Melody didn't even have a response, for that was the truth. Melody was in fact a murderer.

The guards had come for her shortly after and Melody did not resist. She was guilty after all. Even as the cold metal bit into the flesh of her wrists Melody remained silent and straight-faced. The guards had, not very gently, led her down the many hallways of the Ark and towards the section that was designated for juvenile prisoners. They'd thrown her into a cell and left her there to rot.

For nearly four whole years.

"Prisoner 071198."

The sound of a male's voice caused Melody to look up from where she had been sitting on the edge of her bed. For a moment she continued to sit on the hard surface, which was nothing more than a thin mattress spread over a slab of metal that had been fused to the wall. The gears in her mind whirred for a few moments as she tried to imagine why she was being collected during the middle of the day on a _Saturday. _You could almost see the moment when things clicked. A terrified look danced onto Melody's face as she launched herself across the room and away from the approaching guards.

You weren't allowed to float a prisoner until they were eighteen years old. Melody was still only seventeen for another two months, if not longer. They couldn't possibly float her. It was against the law! The chancellor would never allow it. Or perhaps he would…Chancellor Jaha was a complex man.

"I'm not eighteen yet." Said Melody, hating the slight quiver in her voice that made her sound like a frightened child.

The guards said nothing as they continued to descend upon her. Each passing moment brought their outstretched arms closer to Melody. Fear was in her eyes as each guard grabbed one of Melody's pale and thin arms. Had she been a bit bigger her chances at survival may have been greater. Had she been stronger she may have given the guards a run for their money. But as it was, she was neither big nor strong. She didn't stand a chance.

"I said I'm _not eighteen." _Melody repeated, her voice frantic as she attempted to pull her arms out of their strong grasps. Her attempts were futile. "You can't do this!"

But they could. Melody knew it and so did they. Their silence was maddening as they dragged Melody into the hallway. Her frantic eyes darted up and down the hallways and were met with the most unusual sight. She wasn't the only one being pulled from her cell.

Loud complaints and the sound of a hundred panicked voices filled the hallway. Melody's wide eyes somehow grew wider as she thought of what this must mean. The chancellor couldn't float them all at once. No, if fifty or more teenage prisoners suddenly went missing people would notice. Perhaps it was quarantine? Maybe there was an outbreak of strep throat or the chicken pox. It had happened before, long before Melody's time. But that didn't mean it couldn't happen again.

To say that Melody was a bit out of the loop was an understatement. She had spent the last two years locked up in solitary confinement. Apparently murderers didn't get roommates; or visitors. The only human interaction she had was with the guards who, quietly, brought her two meals a day. Melody could hardly ever get a word out of the sullen men and women who looked at her as if they expected her to attack at any moment. Not that she blamed them, of course. She was a murderer.

"I said-" She began, but was interrupted.

"We _heard _you." Snapped the guard to her left. "You're not being floated."

The words did little to reassure Melody at first. Naturally, she was curious. "If you're not going to float me, why are you taking me out in the middle of the day? Why are you taking me out _at all_?" She demanded, looking between the two of them.

"You and 99 other prisoners have been selected to undergo a mission for the good of the Ark." This time the other guard spoke to her. His voice held a twinge of sympathy that Melody hadn't detected in the voice of Guard One. _Thanks for the thought, buddy. _She thought to herself, the sarcasm lacing the words thick and angry.

_A mission for the good of the Ark. _The words painted a picture of noble warriors riding off into battle and defending their homelands. But Melody could see the truth lurking just behind the carefully chosen words that had most likely come from the mouth of the chancellor. This so-called mission wasn't going to be easy.

Melody forced herself to be quiet as the guards led her and countless others down the seemingly-endless chamber. Absently she thought, _I don't remember it being this long before._ But the first time she had walked down this hallway had been under different circumstances. Then, Melody had been a scared thirteen year old girl. She'd just been a pitiful freckled-faced kid who everyone had looked at with wide and curious eyes, each thinking the same things. _**Why did she do it? How did she do it? She's just a kid.**_And most importantly, _**she'll die in there. **_

Killing someone was not exactly a forgivable offense. The only reason Melody hadn't been floated was because of her age. Some argued that she was too young to be floated. Launching a thirteen year old girl into space, unprotected, was simply inhumane. Others argued that murder was murder; she should be punished accordingly. They argued back and forth, but eventually it was decided that Melody would spend the majority of her life in prison. And there she had sat, for almost four years. And now she was being released into the world of the living once more.

As the guards released her wrists, Melody rubbed them lightly and looked around the large room that they had suddenly entered. "Put this on." A jacket hit her square in the chest before bouncing off. As instructed, Melody bent over and picked up the jacket before slipping it on. "And these." A pair of sneakers dropped to the ground in front of her. Melody looked down at her sock feet before slipping on a pair of shoes for, literally, the first time in years. The material hugged her feet nicely, and Melody wiggled her toes as she looked at the guard for further instruction. The guard continued digging through a pile of clothes before shaking his head at Melody. "Cuff her." He announced, and moved on to the next prisoner.

Once again fear struck Melody so powerfully that she felt the urge to fun. When it came to the fight or flight response, Melody had a bit of trouble with the fight part. She blamed her mother, who was just as petite and scrawny as she was. A mother who, with the best interests of her daughter in mind, had drilled it into Melody's mind that ladies were not powerful enough to fight. Ladies were meant to be petite and docile and sweet-natured. All of this from the mother of a girl who could one day kill a man. _Sorry, Mom. _

The guard moved forward and Melody took a step back. She may have taken another if a second guard, anticipating what she planned on doing, hadn't grabbed her from behind and held her still. Melody thrashed her body from side to side as the first guard approached. She remembered all too well the feeling of the cool metal cutting into her wrists. It made her feel trapped and helpless and at the mercy of the guards. Which she was, regardless. "Please…please." Melody begged, trying to pull her arm away from the guard. Melody closed her eyes tightly and heard the softest clicking sound. A hiss left her throat as she felt a million needles pierce her skin along the inside of the cuff. And then, she felt nothing.

"It's a bracelet to monitor your vitals on Earth." The guard said boldly, looking down at Melody's bracelet to make sure the green light was blinking. That meant it wasn't defective.

_Earth? _Melody looked up at the guard in surprise, too shocked to say anything as she was ushered towards the door of what appeared to be an exodus ship. She knew about these ships; they had been created for when the human race may one day return to Earth. The only problem was, no one had been planning on using them for years. The nuclear radiation on the planet had wiped out all survivors. It would wipe out any _returning _survivors. In short, it was a death sentence.

She sat down hard in one of the seats as the truth of this "mission" really hit her. They were sending them away to die. The thought was so disturbing that it almost seemed to cause Melody to leave her body. Her movements were jerky and robotic as she buckled herself into the straight-backed seat. _I'm going to die. _The thought echoed in her mind as she leaned back in the seat, practically shaking with fear.

"Isn't this exciting?"

Melody was pulled from her thoughts as she turned her head to the side, looking up into a pair of dark-brown eyes. The boy appeared to be about her age, give or take a year or so. His skin was much darker than Melody's pale shade of pasty. This boy had olive-colored skin that looked healthy and soft. He also had thick hair the color of soil; it was a rich, brown color that was pleasing to the eye. A bright grin was plastered across his face. The boy didn't look afraid. In fact, he looked so…alive.

"We're going to Earth." Melody said, as if that should explain everything and knock some common sense into the boy. Melody waited for the sudden understanding to dawn on his face, and then the look of fear. But it never came.

"I know." The brunette said, sending a wicked grin in Melody's direction. "I'm Jasper Jordan."

The name was nice, the kind of name that just sort of slipped off of your tongue. Jasper Jordan; it had a good ring to it. "I'm Melody." She said quietly, thinking to herself that it didn't _matter _what their names were. They were obviously going to _die._ And Jasper seemed completely uninterested.

"You do realize what this means, right? Us going to Earth?" Melody pressed, quirking an eyebrow in question at the boy who was practically _bouncing_ in his seat. His excitement was useless. Even if they _did_ manage to survive the journey and the landing to Earth the radiation would kill them as soon as they opened the dropship door.

"Yeah." Jasper said with a nod, turning to look at Melody. By doing so, he had managed to knock a pair of goggles that had previously been pushed back off and onto his face. They covered his eyes and caused the boy to laugh softly as he pulled them up to peek at Melody. "This is a fresh start."

Before Melody could even utter a single word in protest, the large television towards the front of the dropship switched on. She watched with little interest as a video of the chancellor began to stream. He spoke calmly and seriously as he explained to them what was happening and what exactly the purpose of this mission was.

Melody, along with 99 other prisoners, were being sent to Earth to see if it was inhabitable. Their job was to keep on the bracelets that they'd been given, which would monitor their vitals and send them back to the Ark. If it was safe, the rest of the people on the Ark would come down and join them. If it wasn't, then it kind of sucked to be The 100.

"This is epic." Jasper said loudly, grinning across the ship at another boy, this one with black hair and dark eyes. The other male wore a smile on his face that mirrored Jasper's almost exactly.

All around her, people were excited. None of them seemed to realize the potential danger that they were about to be facing. "Jasper, we could _die._" Melody said seriously, looking at him with wide and confused eyes. "Don't any of you realize that?"

As if to prove her point, the ship chose that moment to jump to life. Melody could practically feel her stomach drop as the ship began to slowly move, floating into the great abyss that was space. Melody looked around worriedly when she heard the soft clicking sound of seatbelts. This time, people were getting out of their seats. A boy was floating around, causing people to laugh and call out to him. _Spacewalker. _That's what they called him. And others soon began to follow suit.

_They'll be the first to go. _Melody thought to herself, sadly shaking her head.

When the initial shock of take-off was over, Jasper gave Melody a half-smile and a confused look that must have mirrored her own look from just moments before. "Mel, don't you get it?" Asked the optimistic boy as he continued to bounce his knee in pure excitement. "No more days and nights of rotting away in our cells. We're not coming down here to die; we could have done that just fine on the Ark. We're getting a chance to _live_."

Melody had never thought of it like that. She'd spent the last four years locked up in that room with no contact with the outside world. And now, she was surrounded by ninety-nine kids her age…Hadn't she wanted that for as long as she could remember? Jasper's way of thinking certainly was appealing and less gloomy. But it was still hard for Melody to forget the fact that at any moment they might be hurdling towards the ground, out of control.

"Relax, Mel. We're gonna make it." The look on Jasper's face as he said those words was one of pure determination. "Trust me." He was positive that they would get out of this alive. Although the evidence was stacked against them, Jasper hadn't lost hope. And Melody shouldn't have, either.

"Alright. I trust you." Melody said gently, willing herself to be optimistic. To add to the effort, Melody forced herself to offer Jasper a half-hearted smile. Jasper reached out with his hand balled into a fist. Melody shyly extended her own arm to bump it, the smile on her face feeling more genuine at the purely _teenage _action. How long had it been since she'd actually _been _a teenager? And just as their fists were about to connect…something happened.

The ship lurched suddenly, and Melody realized that they must have entered the atmosphere. The pace at which they were going suddenly increased dramatically. No longer were they floating through space; they were now hurtling towards the ground at an alarming rate. And the only thing she could think of that might have caused the change was them being dragged into Earth's atmosphere.

A hand wrapped around her wrist suddenly, and Melody turned her head to look at Jasper once more. The smile had left his face and his eyes darted anxiously across the ship, towards the male who he had been smiling at earlier. The boy flashed him a thumbs-up, and then Jasper's attention was focused on her. His grip on her wrist tightened slightly, as if by holding onto her he could somehow ensure her safety.

"Mel?" Jasper's voice was suddenly anxious as she failed to respond.

Melody forced herself to smile and nod her head before she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Her heart was hammering against her chest as she forced herself to breathe in and out. All around her it sounded like things were falling apart. The sound of crashing, grinding, and things breaking caused Melody to close her eyes and lean further back in the seat. As if by making herself smaller she could somehow survive it all.

When her eyes opened once more it was because she had heard people begin to scream. Something warm and heavy fell against her side. When Melody looked to her right she had to stifle a scream as she saw one the limp body of one of the "spacewalkers." With her free hand she shoved the body away from her, shivering as she drew even further into herself.

Sparks flew everywhere. Bright flashes of golden yellow bounced off of pieces of metal that had managed to rub together. And then, the electricity began to fail. Shouts grew louder and more panicked when they were enveloped in complete darkness. Melody held her breath for a few moments, clenching her jaw so as not to whimper or cry out. She had a fear of the dark that no amount of time would ever take away. Bad things happened in the dark, when there was no one to protect you.

Melody was relieved when the lights came back on, but only momentarily. She took a moment to look over at Jasper, who had also closed his eyes and looked as if he were having trouble staying calm. Melody squeezed his hand once, and was rewarded with a half-hearted smile from the boy that she was quickly growing to depend on. All she could focus on was his hand wrapped around hers. Jasper was steady. He was stable. He was the only thing that she was sure of right now.

The lights flickered on and off, on and off, on and off. _Shouldn't we have landed by now? _Melody wondered to herself, figuring that they had been pulled into the gravitational pull of Earth for at least three or four minutes. Once they were in, it should be a straight drop. Melody assumed that the Ark had equipped the dropship with some sort of device to slow them down…But whatever it was, it wasn't working. They were still going at full-speed, with everyone _finally _panicking as Melody had wanted.

"Jasper? Shouldn't we have landed?" Melody asked, her voice loud over the sound of the commotion within the dropship. Everyone else seemed to be wondering the same question.

"It could take a few moments for the parachutes to deploy! Don't worry." Replied a voice that did not belong to Jasper Jordan. Melody sighed to herself, and repeated the words over and over again in her head. _Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't- _

Her thoughts were cut short when she suddenly felt them begin to slow. Melody let out her breath, which she didn't even know she was holding, and silently thanked whatever god there was that they had managed to slow down. They hadn't escaped danger. They were simply falling at a slightly slower pace. But it eased their minds. Things were going good…And then, they landed with a loud _thud_ noise.

It seemed to take a few moments before anyone could move. The landing hadn't been harsh on them, so Melody supposed that it was the relief about being alive which made them all stay stock still for at least a solid minute. And then, everything seemed to be happening at once.

"Mel, you good?" Jasper asked in a shaky voice as he turned his head to look at her once more. His hand had tightened around hers significantly during the course of their journey, and Melody realized now that his grip was almost painful.

Letting go of his hand, Melody leaned forward and began to unbuckle herself from the seat. "I'm fine, Jasper." She assured the boy as she stood up, smiling to herself at how worried he was. Just minutes before he had been assuring her that everything was going to be alright. And now, the roles were reversed.

"Alright, cool." Replied the busy boy as he began to unstrap himself from the seat as quickly as possible. When Jasper stood up he put once hand against the wall to steady himself. Melody wasn't surprised; her own legs felt like Jell-O.

A third person joined their party then. Melody learned that his name was Monty. He was the boy who Jasper had been talking to earlier, the one who he had watched throughout the drop to make sure that he remained alright. And judging by the friendly hug that the two shared immediately upon landing, Melody assumed they were close.

"Monty, this is Mel." Jasper told the boy, reaching out to pull Melody into a side-hug. His arm remained draped over her shoulder as he continued talking to the dark-haired boy. "She's with us now."

Melody grinned up at the two of them as she leaned against Jasper's side. His words warmed her through. _She's with us now. _Melody repeated the words in her mind and decided that she liked them. Never before had she been "with" anyone. She felt as if she had been taken under Jasper's wing. And the feeling was a good feeling. Melody felt like she wasn't alone down here anymore. She finally had a _friend. _

Things began to be set in motion when people slowly started to get out of their seats and begin forming groups. Melody and Jasper and Monty began moving towards the beginning of the dropship, along with a large crowd of people. She couldn't see what was happening in the front, exactly. Even when she stood up on her tiptoes there was someone taller in front of her. All she could do was make out a couple of shapes at the front of the dropship. They looked like they were heading for the door.

"We can't just open the doors!" A girl's voice rang out. Moments later, someone was pushing by Melody to get to the front. Mel didn't recognize the girl. She only saw her back, but she could tell that the girl was slender and blonde; two characteristics that Melody envied.

"Hey, back it up guys." A male's voice rang out just as loudly, but it was full of authority. The sound of Like the girl all she could see was his back as he faced the door rather than the crowd. At first, anyways. When the girl approached him, however, he spun around and looked at her.

He was older than them all, but it wasn't exactly apparent unless you really looked. He was a bit taller than the boys, a bit broader, too. He could only be a handful of years older than Melody and the rest of the delinquents aboard the ship. He had tan skin and hair that was thick, black, and curly. His dark brown eyes shone with a fierceness as he stared down the girl who stood in front of him.

"The air could be toxic." The blonde pointed out, her voice frantic. It was the same scared tone that Melody had used earlier when talking to Jasper. She could sympathize with the girl.

"If the air is toxic, we're all dead anyway." Retorted the male, hardly giving her a second thought as he moved towards the door once more.

Melody held her breath as she waited for something to happen. Either he would open the door, or the girl would fight him on it. A power struggle loomed in the near future…Or so she thought. Just then, another voice rang out. A new voice.

"Bellamy?"

It belonged to a girl. Melody's eyes slowly rolled in the new person's direction, as did the rest of the crowd's. She didn't know the girl. Hell, she didn't know _anyone._ But she looked familiar. She looked like…The boy at the door. They had more similarities than Melody had ever seen between two people. The same thick, dark hair. The same olive-colored skin tone. They both had athletic builds and sharp features. If Melody didn't know better she would say they were…

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year."

The girl spoke, confirming Melody's suspicions. _Of course. _She was Octavia Blake, the girl who lived under the floors. Even Melody knew that. Siblings were a rarity on the Ark. You were only allowed one child. And by having two, you broke the law. You were floated.

Whispers began to go up among the crowd. And then, loud shouts. _That's Octavia Blake! The girl they found hidden under the floors._ Melody listened to these shouts, watching as the girl quickly grew angry. She lunged for the group, and Bellamy pulled her back, telling her no.

"Let's give them something else to remember you by." Bellamy suggested, looking down at her with a smile.

Melody looked at the two of them, and in that smile she could see the love that Bellamy Blake had for his sister. Mel didn't know anything about having a sibling. Like almost every other kid on the Ark, she was an only child. The bond of a sibling was not something she was familiar with, but Melody did know about loving someone so fiercely that you would do anything to protect them. _Even_ if that meant you had to sneak onto a dropship. _Even_ if it meant you had to kill a guy.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years." Bellamy said in response to Octavia's question of, _like what?_ Reaching out, Bellamy pulled a lever that opened the dropship door. Light flooded in, momentarily blinding them all. But then, they could see. They could smell. They could hear.

And they were home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It was stunning.

Melody had pushed herself to the front of the group and now stood at the entrance to the dropship in awe. She was between the black-haired male, Bellamy, and the blonde-haired female whose name she still did not know. Looking between the two, she noted that their reactions were polar opposites. Bellamy looked overjoyed. The blonde looked almost scared. And Melody could sympathize with her; she knew the feeling all too well.

No one spoke as they slowly took in their surroundings. They just stood there, watching and listening and _smelling._ Earth did have a lovely scent; it smelled of soil and sunlight and everything _green._ And it was warm. She could feel the sunshine bathing her skin as she lingered at the front of the ship.

Without thinking, Melody took a step forward. A strong hand suddenly pressed against her hip, holding her in place. In a second her body went from relaxed to as stiff as a board. Mel's emerald green eyes were alit with anger as they snapped towards the owner of the wandering hand. A steady, brown gaze clashed with hers as the two of them seemed absorbed in a silent battle. Melody knew why Bellamy Blake had stopped her. This was Octavia's moment. But that didn't change the fact that he was crossing unspoken boundaries. Their eyes remained locked until Bellamy ever-so slowly lowered his hand and turned his attention back towards Octavia, who was nearing the edge of the dropship door.

It seemed to Melody that they all held their breath as Octavia bent at the knees and jumped the short distance to the ground. _We did it. _Melody thought to herself, a grin breaking out across her face as she watched Octavia throw her hands in the air.

"We're back, bitches!" Octavia's shout rang out, echoing across the miles and miles of forest.

And then, they were off. The air was filled with the sound of laughter and excitement as The 100 filed out of the dropship. It seemed as if they couldn't move quite fast enough. Everyone wanted to feel the steady earth beneath their boots. They wanted to run their fingers along the soft leaves and fill their lungs with an endless supply of sweet, sweet oxygen that they had never been allowed on the Ark. They wanted to truly _live._

While the others ran forward, whooping and shouting as they explored their new home, Melody approached the edge of the dropship door and looked directly down at the ground below it. _We made it. _They were on Earth. Earth, the inhabitable planet. Against all odds they had landed safely and weren't being affected by any sort of radiation. They had completed the Ark's mission; they were free.

Melody continued to stare at the ground below her. It looked so soft, yet firm. The soil was dark brown and laced with patches of green. It took Melody a few minutes to identify the foreign plant. _Grass_._ It's grass. I've made it to Earth and I'm surrounded by grass. _It was an odd thought, but one that delighted her nonetheless. Come on…it was grass! The Ark had dirt to grow their crops, but they didn't have grass. Grass grew naturally on the forest floor…It was something she had only read about in books. It lay in thick patches as far as her eye could see. It was long and green and gave off a very sweet scent. _I'm seeing grass. _

And suddenly, she wanted to touch it. She wanted to pick the sweet-smelling plant and feel just how soft or rough it was. She wanted to gather the soil in her hands and let it filter through her fingers. She wanted it _all. _But just as she was about to take her first steps onto the planet, her legs were suddenly swept out from underneath her and Melody found herself wrapped in a strong embrace.

"We made it, Mel!" Jasper swung her around and around in countless circles until Melody's head was dizzy and she was laughing loudly. He had one arm supporting her back and the other wrapped around her bent knees. Melody had never been _this close _to someone her own age. She'd never interacted with another being like this. It was fun; weightless. It made her giddy and filled her with joy. "We made it!" He repeated, eventually staggering to a slow stop. Melody wrapped one arm loosely around Jasper's neck and threw the other in the air. _We made it. _

Monty's voice suddenly piped up from somewhere to their left. "Hey, I made it too!"

Melody laughed in response as she slid from Jasper's arms and stumbled over to Monty. They'd twirled one too many times…the world spun for a few moments before she grasped Monty's arm and smiled up at him. "We made it." She said, not wanting Monty to feel left out. _Especially _since he was Jasper's best friend whereas Melody barely knew the guy.

The grin on Monty's face let Melody know that he was glad to be included. Mel stood on her tiptoes and ruffled Monty's hair with one hand as the three of them walked side-by-side with Melody in the middle, her shoulders brushing each of theirs' as they circled around the dropship. People still rushed about, shouting and clinging to one another. It was chaos, but so far so good. Ninety-eight of them had made it down safely. Ninety-eight of them would survive another day.

It was still so surreal that they were actually on Earth. Melody had always been infatuated with the planet that had once been, and now was once more, home to the human race. The nuclear war had forced them to evacuate. The radiation made the earth inhabitable. She'd been taught that radiation destroyed everything in its path. It _had _destroyed everything once. But now…either she was dying really, _really_ slowly or the radiation was gone.

Melody guessed it must be the latter.

"Isn't this great?" Mel ran her hand along the rough bark of a tree that was much, much taller than she was. The bark felt foreign against her fingers. The Ark only had one tree and Melody had never even seen it. Her hand first brushed against the bark of the tree, and then it climbed higher until she could caress the soft, green leaves on the low-hanging branches. To say she was intrigued by nature was an understatement. She lived for it. On the Ark she had studied various books on the Earth's environment and the plants that grew there. But the faded pictures that she had seen in the books were nothing compared to the real thing.

"Amazing. If we can find the right herbs…" Jasper trailed off as he looked at Monty, who wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Melody was puzzled and felt left out of their mysterious conversation, but she was too absorbed in stroking the tender leaves of a tall oak tree to care very much.

So absorbed, in fact, that Melody didn't see or hear much of anything that was taking place around her. Her thoughts were aimed towards the idea of putting the trees to good use and making tree-bark soup. It sounded and probably tasted horrible, but Melody knew that they could survive on it if they didn't find any animals. If there _weren't_ any animals. And later, when it was the right season, they could tap into the trees and get the sap. Mel knew that it could easily be made into syrup. All it took was a bit of boiling water. That would be easy; fires could be made by rubbing two sticks together. Or so she had heard. And maybe if they had a fire then they could have torches and lamps and…

She was getting ahead of herself. Melody didn't even know how long they would last on this strange planet. The thought of being here during the winter time was both frightening and exhilarating. If they _did_ survive on Earth then they were going to need to know how to make basic things; weapons for starters. Melody wasn't sure exactly how many of the 100 were survivalists, but she wouldn't count on many. At least she knew a _bit _about surviving off the land. She knew what kind of plants were safe to eat and what ones could be turned into medicine. Other than that, she was as clueless as the rest of them.

The only thing that could have snapped Melody out of her daze was confrontation; and that's exactly what did it. Her head snapped up at the sound of a voice that was becoming all too familiar. She saw Jasper near the dropship entrance. From the looks of things he had been talking to the blonde girl that had spoken up about opening the doors and the dangers that it might pose. Melody still didn't know her name. Melody didn't _care_ about her name. All she cared about was the hand currently wrapped around her best, and only, friend's arm as another boy shoved Jasper away from the blonde.

Melody was on her feet in seconds and rushing towards the dark-skinned boy that had yet to let go of Jasper. She knew him; Wells Jaha. The chancellor's son. Well, Melody was fully intent on showing him that down here he did not rule. He did not have the right to manhandle her friend. She hurried forward to make that known when Monty's hand shot out and stopped her from approaching them. "Hey!" Mel protested angrily, trying to push through the barricade that Monty's arm had made. She had little luck, for the arm simply wound itself tighter around her midsection. At first Melody was confused as to why Monty would stop her from helping Jasper. And then, she saw them.

There was at least ten of them, all big guys who looked as if they were just itching for an excuse to get their hands bloody. Their leader was a well-built boy with short hair that was a light-brown color. He wore it brushed back, away from his face. The boy looked like the rest of them. He looked normal. Until he spoke.

"Hands off of him. He's with us."The voice was commanding and dark. He sounded as if he wanted Wells to defy him. As if he wanted a reason to beat, or even kill, the boy who had once held an important title on the Ark. But this wasn't the ark. Down here, they all were equal. They all were _criminals. _Some more dangerous than others.

To Melody's surprise, and relief, Wells released Jasper and turned to face the leader of the misfit band of criminals, hands up as a sign of surrender. "Relax. We're just trying to figure out where we are." Wells said calmly, obviously not wanting any trouble. _Smart man. _

"We're on the ground. That not good enough for you?"

The sound of a new voice caused Melody to turn her head and look towards where Bellamy Blake stood amid a group of people. His eyes were trained on Wells, but his question was addressed to the blonde as well. By Bellamy's side was Octavia, looking at Blondie and Wells as if she had little interest in either of them. There was a defiant look in her eyes; the same look in Bellamy's. And the same look in Blondie's.

Melody took this moment to tune them all about, because honestly she wasn't interested in a pissing contest. She was interested in her friend. "Are you alright, Jasper? Melody asked, her voice laced with concern.

It was hard to explain the connection that Melody felt she had with Jasper. The two of them had met less than an hour ago, but she already felt a fierce loyalty to the boy. During the landing Jasper had been her rock; the only thing anchoring her. He was the first person that she had talked to in _years._ He had been the one to make her smile despite her fear. To make her laugh when it seemed impossible. In many ways, Jasper was all she had. And Monty, of course, but that was different. Jasper had _been there for her. _Melody had thought she was going to die, and the only thing that gave her even an ounce of reassurance was Jasper's tight hold on her hand. So when someone challenged Jasper, they challenged her.

After all, everyone needs somebody.

"I'm fine, Mel." The look on her face must have suggested she wasn't totally convinced, because Jasper felt the need to elaborate. "Really. Not a scratch on me." As if to prove his point, he raised his arms and twirled around.

Satisfied, Melody smiled at him and finally allowed herself to listen to the conversation that was happening right in front of her eyes. Blondie and Bellamy were arguing with each other and it sounded like it was going to get heated. Blondie thought they should all make the journey to this so-called _Mount Weather_ and search for supplies. Bellamy thought that Blondie and Wells should go; let the privileged do the work.

No matter how much Wells and Blondie tried to convince him that it was best for them all to go, no one else agreed. In fact, the leader of the group from earlier pushed his way forward. He shoved his shoulder against Melody's rather roughly as he passed, causing the girl to stumble slightly towards Jasper and Monty. Both boys reached out to steady her as the three of them, along with countless others, watched the boy approach Wells.

Melody watched in silent horror as Wells was shoved, with the boy calling him _The Chancellor of Earth. _She didn't know if Wells truly thought that he could make the rules, but she _did_ know that she would rather it be Wells than this guy. The boy's next move was to swipe Wells' leg out from underneath him. Sprawled on his back, Wells looked completely weak and defenseless. But to his credit, he got back up. Limping slightly, he drew his fists up and prepared for the altercation. The boy would have gladly fought wells. He had the upper hand, after all. In fact, he moved towards Wells slightly before he was intercepted. Having jumped from the roof of the dropship, a shaggy-haired boy stood between the two of them.

There was a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" as the boy stuck a perfect landing. He stood there, looking smug with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. Melody found herself smiling slightly as she looked at him. There was something charming about the kid…Maybe it was the way he stood up for the weak. That had always been something Melody admired.

"Kid's got one leg. How about you wait until it's a fair fight?" The boy asked, staring evenly at the leader of the little misfit group of delinquent boys. Of course, the leader had no choice but to back off.

Melody thought that was the end of it. But shortly after the leader backed off, Octavia Blake came waltzing up to talk to the one who had rushed to Wells' defense. "Hey, Spacewalker. How about you rescue me next?"

The crowd dispersed in a fit of laughter as everyone went their own separate ways. Even Melody felt herself smiling…until she saw the angry look on Bellamy's face as he dragged Octavia away from the rest of the group. _That _was a family dispute that she had no interest in witnessing.

So, Melody followed after Jasper and Monty as they moved to talk with a few others.

"Hey guys, this is Mel." Monty introduced her when she walked over to the little group that consisted of her two friends, plus two other males that she didn't recognize. "Mel, this is Jacob and Fletcher." Monty introduced them to Melody, but the boys were quick to re-introduce themselves as Jake and Fletch.

She smiled warmly and shook each of their hands in turn. "So did you guys know each other on the Ark?" Mel questions, not realizing her mistake before it's too late.

"Yeah, we go way back. We were in the same classes throughout school." Jake informed her, smiling between Monty and Jasper.

"What about you, Mel? Surely we would remember someone as beautiful as you." Fletcher said, flashing Mel what she assumed was a charming smile. It might have been more charming if her gut hadn't suddenly tightened as fear coursed through her body.

What was she supposed to tell them? That she had killed a man? That was out of the question. But there was no other excuse as to why she was a seventeen year old girl who had never attended high school.

"I, uh…"

Mel didn't have to answer though, because at that exact moment Monty and Jasper were whisked away. She turned and watched as the boy, Spacewalker, led them over to where Blondie and Wells were. She smiled apologetically to Jake and Fletch. "We'll talk later." Melody assured them, before I turn to walk over to where a small group was forming.

Melody arrived just in time to hear Octavia's voice as she reaches the group. "Make it five."

And then, Melody stepped forward although she had no idea what she was getting into. But Melody was not about to let her two friends go off all by themselves. And more importantly, she not going to let them leave _her _all by _herself. _So, Melody let them know they could count her in.

"No. Make it six."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Five out of six members of the group were in no hurry to get to Mount Weather. They took their time, dawdling in the sunshine and stopping to pick flowers wherever they happened to pop up. Never before had any of them seen such a beautiful sight. And they were bound and determined to enjoy every second of it. All of them except for one…Blondie. Or as Melody had heard Wells and Spacewalker call her, _Clarke. _

In fact, the blonde looked at the five of them with little patience. "Hey, guys. Would you try to keep up?" Clarke asked them, clearly irritated that they would rather be messing around and discussing something like _poison sumac_ than looking for this mountain.

A scowl marred Melody's face as she looked at the blonde female who had been calling the shots thus far. Although Mel knew that it was important to get the supplies she couldn't help but to feel a bit annoyed by Clarke's constant prodding. It didn't bother her that Clarke had took charge; after all, _someone _had to. What bothered her was how completely oblivious the girl seemed to be in regards to everything going on around them.

"How do you block this all out?" Questioned Finn, aka Spacewalker. He and Melody seemed to be on the same wavelength.

Clarke looked at Finn with a slight frown on her face. "It's simple. I wonder, why haven't we seen any animals? Maybe it's because there _are _none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us." Retorted Clarke, looking at them all with the eyes of a disproving mother. "Sure is pretty though." She tacked on sarcastically, before turning away from them and continuing on.

There were a few beats of silence as she walked away before Octavia spoke. "Someone should slip _her_ some poison sumac." The girl commented, earning small smiles and laughter from the four of them.

The five of them began to walk once more, with Finn in the lead and Melody hanging in the back. Jasper and Monty walked side by side ahead of her, and ahead of them was Octavia. Melody took her time, saying nearly nothing as they all followed after Clarke. Mel was rather content to observe the four of them as they talked amongst themselves; she'd been doing it for most of their journey. When she watched, Melody noticed things that she wouldn't otherwise pick up on. For example, only she saw Octavia send admirable glances in Finn's direction whenever she thought no one was looking. And Melody watched as Finn either didn't notice those secret looks or didn't care to return them.

And there were other things that she had noticed. Like the way Jasper's laugh had lasted just a little bit longer than the rest of theirs' when Octavia has spoken. And how his warm, brown eyes hardly ever glanced in any direction other than Octavia's. This revelation caused a sharp stab of jealousy to hit Melody in her gut. She watched the two with narrowed eyes, wanting nothing more than to step between them and demand Jasper's attention. Apparently, Melody wasn't the only one observing…

A sheepish look fell upon her face as her eyes met Monty's. She'd been caught. Mel offered a weak smile, which Monty returned before quickly shifting his eyes forward once more. And that was when Melody realized something; he was a bit jealous himself. And Monty's jealousy only seemed to heighten her own.

_Jasper's __**our**__ friend. _Melody thought selfishly, forcing herself to keep a neutral face when all she really wanted to do was glare at Octavia's back. It was unreasonable for her to be jealous over Jasper's little crush. But damn it, she was. Octavia already _had_ somebody; Bellamy. Octavia wasn't alone down here. Aside from Jasper, Mel had no one. Sure, she had Monty, but _Jasper _was their common ground. Without Jasper, neither one of them had someone to rely on. And Octavia was not going to steal him away from them.

Melody was lost in her thoughts like usual. She didn't notice that they had begun sharing stories about how they'd gotten put into prison until Monty and Jasper were nearly finished explaining.

"Someone forgot to replace what we took." Jasper said, his voice heavily laced with accusation as he looked at Monty, who replied with, "I've apologized like a thousand times."

Melody rolled her eyes at the two boys and smiled. And that's when something clicked in her brain, and she found herself laughing softly as Mel recalled a certain conversation that had left her puzzled earlier.

"_Amazing. If we can find the right herbs…" Jasper trailed off as he looked at Monty, who wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. _

Now, it all made sense.

"What about you, Octavia? What were you in for?" Jasper asked the girl suddenly, a smile spreading across his face at the thought of getting closer to the girl. As his smile grew wider, Melody's faded.

It was a few moments before Octavia replied. "Being born." And with that, she bounded away from their small group and towards Clarke, who had paused just a few yards ahead of them.

"Dude, that was so _not_ game." Monty told Jasper, earning himself a light punch in the arm. Monty returned the punch, and then Jasper, and then Monty. It ended with Jasper sending his friend a warning glance before walking forward, after Octavia. Melody turned to look at Monty and the two of them wore identical grins. She held her hand up and the two of them high-fived before they jogged after Jasper.

Melody didn't know what all of the fuss was about, but Clarke, Finn, and Octavia were knelt in the grass and staring out at an open field. When she and Monty approached Clarke put one finger to her lips and shushed them. Melody frowned in confusion as she and Monty flanked each side of Jasper. She was about to ask him what was going on when she saw it.

_A deer. _

Eyes wide in awe, Melody seemed to hold in her breath as she looked across the field at the majestic creature. _There's animals on Earth. _She thought to herself, excitement growing inside of her. If there were deer then there could easily be other animals like bears and cows and pigs; all sources of food that could help them survive the winter. And not to mention the butterflies and birds and all of the small, beautiful creatures that she had read about in nature books back on the Ark.

Mel looked up and saw that Jasper was smiling down at her. She returned the smile before her eyes flickered back in the direction of the deer. It just stood there, tail twitching happily as it grazed. _It's beautiful…so innocent. And pure. _Melody thought this to herself, not wanting to say the words aloud for fear of sounding stupid.

"No animals, huh?" Finn asked Clarke quietly, a grin on his face as he cautiously took a step forward. He moved silently for the first few steps as he attempted to get closer to the deer. All seemed to be going well. And then, a branch snapped.

The deer jerked to attention in a matter of moments, its head rising swiftly as it heard the noise. No one moved a muscle as they looked at the deer, waiting for something to happen. Its head swiveled in their direction and the gasp that left their lips was unanimous. Growing off of the deer's face was _another_ face. Not a complete face; it was more like another mouth. The split between the two faces was red and puffy and made their stomachs flip. Melody turned sharply, burying her face in Jasper's side at the sight of the mutated deer. The boy wrapped one arm around her shoulder, but he never dragged his gaze away from the deer.

They all seemed to be stunned into silence for a few moments before the deer bounded away from them. No one said anything for a while. They just remained crouching, no one quite sure what to do or say. It was Clarke who regained her composure first, with a quiet "Let's get going."

They walked for a while then, in the same formation as earlier. Octavia and Finn were in the lead with Jasper and Monty behind them. This time, however, Melody was walking between the two boys rather than behind them. Surprisingly, Clarke was at the very end of the line.

The discussion had moved onto _why_ the Ark had decided to send them down to Earth. It was Finn who posed the question, curious as to why they were being sent down _today, _after 97 years. Melody couldn't answer him, because she had no idea as to what had changed. She didn't _care_ to know what had changed. Melody and Octavia had the same view on things; they'd woke up as prisoners and were now free women. Neither of them wanted to question why.

Monty had a few suggestions, but it was Clarke who had the concrete answer. "The Ark is dying." She said simply, once more making her way to the front of the group as the rest of them stopped to glance at her curiously. "With the current population level there is roughly three months of oxygen left."

Clarke went on to explain that her father had been the one to find the flaw in the system. That was why he had been floated, and that was why she had been locked up in solitary. To keep the secret from the public. That was why they had chosen today for The 100 to come down. If they lived, the Ark would come down, too. And if they didn't, they'd bought the remaining people on the Ark some more time.

"They're going to kill more people?" Monty asked, his words more of a question than a statement, but it was hindering in between the two. Clarke didn't respond, but her silence was louder than any words she could have spoken.

The words registered with Melody slowly. She faintly heard Octavia say something that sounded snarky before she bounded off, and she watched as Jasper chased after her. But Melody's main focus was on the loud ringing in her ears as fear shot through her veins. Roughly three months left. That meant that in three months' time, if they didn't convince the Ark that Earth was safe, everyone on it would be dead. Her mother would be dead. Her mother whom she loved more than anyone, whom she had gone to great lengths to care for and protect while still on the Ark. The image of her mother slowly dying from the lack of oxygen caused Melody's heart to skip a beat.

"You okay, Mel?" Monty had noticed that she was falling behind. His dark eyes looked at her, filled with concern, and Melody felt a weak smile spread across her face.

"Fine. Just…thinking." Melody explained half-heartedly, shrugging her shoulders. Monty nodded his head, although he didn't look completely convinced.

"Well let's catch up to the rest of them." Monty suggested.

Melody realized then how far behind they were. She nodded to Monty and the two of them were suddenly jogging to catch up to the rest of the group. When they did manage to reach the others, the group had gone from six to five. Looking ahead, Melody saw Octavia beginning to undress on some rocks that were above a small body of water.

"Damn. I love Earth." Jasper's words earned him a sharp elbow to the ribs as Melody glared up at him. _Have some respect. _She thought to herself before shaking her head and following after Octavia.

Mel reached the rocks just as Octavia dove into the water. Gasping, she and the others ran for the edge of the rocks. Melody stumbled slightly, nearly falling into the water in her desperate attempt to spot Octavia. Only Finn's strong arm kept her from going headfirst into the dark and dangerous river. She shot him a thankful look before turning her eyes back towards the water.

"Octavia! We can't swim." Monty pointed out, his voice laced with concern for the girl, which Melody also felt.

It was funny how just half an hour earlier she had been silently cursing the girl for stealing Jasper's affections. And now, here Melody was, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she thought about something bad happening to Octavia. They may not be friends just yet; hell, they may not ever be friends. But nevertheless, they were all linked. _We're the 100. _Melody thought to herself, as explanation for her sudden fear. _We're one. If she gets hurt, she's one of __**ours.**_

"Yeah, but we can stand!" Octavia's self-assured leer as she stood up in the water caused relief to torrent through Melody's body.

"There shouldn't be a river here." Clarke was obviously puzzled by this unexpected landmark which hadn't been on her map.

"Well there is. So take off your damn clothes." Finn teased her, grinning as he went to follow his own instructions.

The boys began removing their clothes right away. Even Melody considered it for a moment. _Swimming. _She could go swimming. On the Ark there was not enough water for people to _drink_ let alone swim in. Hell, they were lucky they got to bathe…But as tempting as it was to give in to her desires, Melody would rather not undress in front of a bunch of strangers. If she got into the water, she would be wet; walking around wet was not on the top of her to-do list. So, she refrained.

They were all too busy with the prospect of going swimming to see the danger in it. In fact, it was Jasper who first spotted the sea serpent and warned them. "Octavia, get out of the water." Jasper instructed urgently, his eyes wide.

Melody followed his gaze and frowned as she saw something dark and _very_ long rushing towards where Octavia stood. Everyone else seemed to spot it in a matter of moments. Rather than listening to Jasper, Octavia turned around to see what he was talking about. "Get out of the water. Now!" But she didn't have time.

The girl's scream was cut short as the sea serpent latched onto her and dragged her beneath the water. Melody watched with terrified eyes as Octavia thrashed about, being dragged this way and that. Melody thought for sure that she was a goner…but then, she surfaced.

Octavia screamed and thrashed as she attempted to swim towards the surface. She wasn't quite quick enough, because in a matter of seconds the sea serpent had once again latched onto her body. The five of them watched as Octavia was dragged back and forth through the water.

"What do we do!?"

Melody didn't know who had asked the question. She didn't care. When Clarke instructed them to help her, Melody did it without question. The only thought on her mind was saving Octavia's life. And, as she rolled the heavy rock into the water in an attempt to distract the sea creature, all Melody could think about was how often she found herself in situations like this. Situations where she was looking death in the face and trying to help someone she cared for escape it.

The rock made enough noise that it got the creature's attention. The serpent released Octavia and began to swim for the rock, which was sinking to the bottom of the river. Melody looked over to see Octavia still attempting to tread water, obviously too scared to remember that she could stand up. There were several shouts telling her to get to shore, but Octavia seemed to forget how to do so.

Jasper was the one to take action. He jumped into the water without a second thought and wrapped his arms around Octavia as he steered them both towards the shore. _No, no, no! _Melody bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to taste blood. Her fear escalated immensely as she watched the two of them move towards shore.

"It's coming back!" Someone shouted, only causing the tension and panic within Melody to rise.

Mel watched wordlessly as Jasper and Octavia fought tooth-and-nail to get out of the water. Her heart was racing and there was an anxiousness in her body that she had never known before. _Please don't let them die. _She prayed silently, to whatever God might be left.

Every second seemed like an hour. Melody moved forward, towards the rocks that the two of them were headed for. She bent down, eagerly urging them forward. "Come on! Hurry!" Mel begged, watching as somehow they managed to drag themselves ashore. The two had barely escaped the wrath of the creature, but they _had._ And for that Melody was grateful.

She knelt by Jasper's side, watching intently as Clarke ripped off a piece of his shirt to wrap it around Octavia's leg. The petrified girl clung to Jasper, thanking him over and over. Monty made a comment about how he planned on saving the girl next time, causing a breathless laugh to leave Melody's lips. She didn't have enough energy to envy Octavia right now, nor would she even if the situation was different. All that mattered to her was that they were safe.

For now, anyways.

|oOo|

They had to sleep in the forest.

Melody was a bit uneasy at the thought of laying out in the open, but there was nothing that she could do about it. They had no choice in the matter, seeing as how there weren't any friendly neighbors opening their homes to them in a ten-mile radius. Or a twenty-mile radius. _Or anywhere. _

She let the boys pick where they wanted to sleep; not that there were very many options. Jasper wanted to keep Octavia close, and neither Melody nor Monty protested. _He's her rock now. _Melody thought to herself, noting the way Octavia was suddenly looking at Jasper. The thought hurt her a little bit, but she forced herself to push the hurt away. _He's not __**yours. **_She was crazy for thinking that she somehow had this claim on him just because he'd been nice to her.

They ended up sleeping with their backs against a large tree, near where Clarke had settled down in the grass. Jasper had settled down first, propped up against the tree in what looked like an extremely uncomfortable position. He didn't complain though, because shortly after he had laid down Octavia curled up in his lap. _That must have eased some of his suffering._ Monty did the same thing as Jasper, grimacing as he attempted to lean back to no avail. Less enthusiastic now, Mel curled up between the two of them, using the tree as sort of a head-rest. Her body was curled to the side, towards Monty, and her head just barely rested against the base of the tree. Honestly, it wasn't as uncomfortable as one would think.

Surprisingly, Melody slept better than she had in a long time. There was no tossing and turning in the middle of the night. She didn't awake suddenly and draw in shallow breaths to stay alive because the oxygen in the prison was significantly lower than anywhere else. Despite the situation she was not uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Tucked between her two friends, Melody felt as if she were swaddled in a blanket of security. And she slept like a baby all night long.

Warm sunshine on her face and the feeling of Monty stirring next to her woke Melody the following morning. She blinked a few times before her green eyes focused on Monty's face. A sleepy smile spread across her face as she saw him already looking at her, a goofy grin on his face.

"Morning." Mel said quietly, her voice soft and groggy as she attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Were you watching me sleep?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Monty's smile dropped immediately and his eyes widened. "What? No, I…I was just waking up. And you looked so...so peaceful. Not worried like you normally are." He explained, looking panicked.

"Relax, Monty." Melody said, giggling as she looked at his terrified expression. As fun as it would be to bait him, Mel thought he may have an anxiety attack if she tried. "I was just joking."

His comment about her looking peaceful when she wasn't worried was not lost on Melody. It was true, she _did_ worry a lot. But that was because this world was a dangerous place. The Ark had been dangerous, now Earth was dangerous…She couldn't seem to get a break. None of them could. And if she didn't worry, who would? Clarke maybe. She seemed to have her head on straight. But the rest of them? They looked at this like it was some vacation. And that scared her more than anything.

"What're you two talkin' 'bout?" Muttered Jasper as he turned onto his side to face them.

Mel rolled onto her back so that they could include Jasper in their conversation. "Monty was just watching me sleep." Melody whispered, expecting Jasper to be just as creeped out as she had pretended to be.

"Not surprised." The boy said softly, instead. "You look different when you sleep."

The words brought a scowl to Melody's face. She quickly looked between the two of them, wondering what it was about her that was so different when she slept.

"Different how?" Mel asked curiously, pushing herself up on her elbows to look at the two boys. Was she really _that_ bad when she was awake? Mel knew that she had been rather sullen the day before, but she hadn't thought that it was so obvious.

"I don't know. You just kind of look…" Jasper trailed off as he waved one hand in the air, looking for the perfect word.

The soft crunch of twigs beneath a pair of boots announced Octavia's arrival. She must have woken up before the three of them and wandered off somewhere. "Approachable." Octavia suggested for Jasper. He snapped his fingers and nodded, as if to say "_that's the word._"

A very unladylike snort could be heard from Melody as she pushed herself to her feet and looked at Octavia. "Because you are _so_ approachable, Octavia Blake." Mel said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

The words were not supposed to be rude, and luckily Octavia took them the way Melody had meant for them to be taken. The brunette winked at Melody before she turned around and began to make her way to Clarke and Finn, who were talking strategy. Mel felt a bit satisfied with the exchange. She and Octavia weren't friends, but maybe they could be…The sound of Monty and Jasper sitting up caused her attention to shift back to them.

"Approachable?" Melody demanded suddenly, the word coming out like a hiss as she narrowed her eyes first at Jasper and then at Monty. "I'm not _approachable_?" The two boys had the decency to look sheepish.

"You _look_ approachable." Monty said, offering her a wide smile. As if that made it any better.

"Yeah, totally." Jasper agreed, nodding his head. "It's not until _after_ someone approaches you that they realize you're all frowns and worry-lines."

A gasp left Melody's lips as she pressed her fingertips against her forehead. The skin there was as smooth as ever. It was then that she realized Jasper was just screwing with her. _Of course_ she didn't have worry lines. It had just been so long since anyone had teased her like this.

"Assholes." Melody said, nudging Jasper not-so gently with the toe of her boot.

The two of them laughed in response and Monty extended his hand towards her. After a moment's hesitation, Melody took his hand and helped the boy to his feet. She repeated the action with Jasper, who was still laughing.

Finally, Melody cracked and a smile found its way onto her face. She went to elbow Jasper in the ribs, but he dodged it and just wrapped his arm around her shoulders in response. Rolling her eyes, Mel allowed Jasper to pull her against his side. She stumbled slightly and leaned against him as they began to walk towards the rest of their little group.

"You know you love us, Mellie." Monty said in a sing-song voice as he reached out with one hand to ruffle her hair. The nickname was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. In fact, it sent an odd surge of warmth through her.

"Hey!" Melody protested, grinning even as she brushed the reddish-orange tendrils of hair back behind her ears. Mel was quickly learning that she couldn't be mad at the two of them. They were just so damn _charming._ One look from Jasper or a smile from Monty and her heart just seemed to melt. Damn, having friends felt _good._

"Alright, guys. We're got a lot of ground to cover." Clarke's authoritative voice resonated through the small field. "We'd better move out."

The game plan was the same as if had been the day before; find Mount Weather. Clarke promised that they were close to it. She claimed that it was only a few miles away, but a few miles felt like a few _hundred._ Melody didn't know how long they had been walking, but it had gone by slowly. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It had given them time to enjoy themselves and the area around them.

But by this point, Melody was ready to get back to the camp. She didn't know if she could spend another night out in the open. It made her feel so _vulnerable. _They had already learned that they weren't the biggest or baddest things on Earth. Mel didn't want to find out who was _even _bigger and _even _badder.

They seemed to walk for a short amount of time before they came to across their first "real" obstacle. It was another small body of water, one that they had _no_ intention of wading across. Octavia had already suffered the consequences, and the others had no desire to learn from experience. All hope seemed lost, until Finn spotted something that could help; a thick, reliable vine that could be used as a rope.

Now Melody, Monty, Octavia, and Clarke were standing on the rocks protruding from the water. Finn and Jasper had climbed up the steep bank and were looking less than enthused about having to jump off of it with only the vine to support their bodies.

"You wanted to go first." Clarke reminds them, in her voice that means she isn't going to put up with any bull-shit. "Now quit stalling."

Melody grinned, looking up at Jasper and Finn who had started talking once more. She was honestly looking forward to the time when her turn would come. Mel's life lacked excitement; Earth offered it. And swinging across a river on a rope seemed like a great idea.

Her green eyes watched Jasper and Finn, a grin on her face as they were talking about being like the Indians. The _Apache. _She guessed that they were sort of like Indians. They were Earth's natives, but at the same time they were foreign. They were somewhere between being aborigines and aliens. Mel wasn't sure which side they were closer to.

Heart hammering, she watched as Finn pulled the rope back and looked at Jasper. _See you on the other side. _She expected him to jump, to soar across the river and land on the other side. What she didn't expect was for Jasper to call out at the last second.

"Wait!"

Finn paused as they all looked at Jasper. His eyes flickered towards Octavia and it was clear then what he wanted. A half-smirk curved Melody's lips as she watched him. He looked so excited as he bounced gently on the balls of his feet, assuring Finn that he could do it. A fierce wave of pride hit Melody, bringing a full-blown smile to her face. _My boy, the Apache. _She thought to herself, clasping her hands and bringing them to her mouth as she looked on with interested eyes.

When Jasper took the rope, Melody couldn't help but to bounce a little bit and clap her hands. _You've got this, Jasper. _And he did. Jasper grippe the rope and looked at them one last time before he took two steps back.

"See you on the other side." He repeated Finn's earlier words with a grin.

Melody's heart raced as he ran the two steps forward and began to sail across the open space between the bank and their destination. For a minute she watched in silence, forcing herself not to worry. _He's fine. He's fine. _She told herself this over and over. And when he landed on the other side, she threw both hands in the air and let out a shriek.

"We are the Apache!" The cry echoed throughout the forest as Jasper through both hands in the air and shouted.

"Yeah!" Melody cried, along with the rest of the group. They were so caught up in their whooping and hollering as pride filled them all. They'd come down here as children. And now, they were _Apache. _This was their land. This was their _time._

They continued to laugh and cheer as Jasper did a small victory dance. Melody, Monty, and Octavia watched him with amused smiles as Clarke prepared herself to be the next one across.

"Come on, Clarke! You got this!" Jasper encouraged her from across the stream, his grin wide. "_Apache!_"

They all laughed, relieved that Jasper had made it across with no trouble. And now, it was Clarke's turn. But as she stood, ready to go, Jasper began to dig in the dirt near where he had landed. They all watched as he lifted up a sign, one that was beaten and bruised after many long, hard years. It was faded, but still readable.

_Mount Weather._

"We did it!" Cried Jasper, as he raised the sign high above his head. "Mount Weather!" He let out another string of shouts, holding the sign up proudly.

Relief washed over them as they realized that they were here. _We made it._ Mel thought to herself, throwing her head back in relief. _We made it…_

They were all so relieved and excited to finally be here. Nothing could stop them now. Nothing! Or that's what they thought.

Right up until the moment a spear struck Jasper square in the chest and sent him flying.


	4. Chapter 4

**Shout out to Mina Luriya for writing the first review on my story and completely making my day :) It was much appreciated!**

**Chapter Four**

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

A strangled gasp left Melody's lips as she watched Jasper's body sail through the air and fall limply to the ground a few feet away. Protruding from his chest was a long, wooden shaft that had definitely been carved by hand. Melody didn't need to be a weapon-junkie to know that there was a spearhead of some sort attached the end that was embedded in Jasper's chest.

As much as she wanted to scream and shout and call out to the boy, Mel couldn't. The only thing she could managed to get out of her throat was a single, hoarse whisper. "Jasper."

One shaking hand was outstretched in his direction, as if she could somehow will him back to her. Melody's mouth opened and closed; no words would come out. Mel leaned forward, about to take a step in the direction of where his crumpled body lay. Had Monty not roughly grabbed her arm and yanked her to safety, Melody might have been the next person with a spear sticking out of her body.

"Get down!" Finn was shouting as he ushered them all to lower ground, where the rocks would shield most of their bodies from view.

Melody felt numb. It was Monty who did the moving for both of them. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and had managed to get the both of them to safety. Melody had been no help; all she could do was blindly stumble along as if she had lost complete control over her body. And for a moment, it felt as if she had.

Clarke's voice was soft and frightened, somewhere near Melody's ears. "We are not alone." The girl said, peering over the edge of the rocks as if to look for whoever had attacked them.

"Mel? Are you with me?" Monty's voice was frantic.

Melody looked up and saw that his face was just inches from hers. Her eyes were wide and blinking rapidly, as if she couldn't quite process what had just happened to them. Jasper had just been killed before her very eyes. Jasper, the boy who had held her hand when things got scary. The optimistic kid with whom she had taken her first steps on Earth. It seemed so surreal that only an _hour _ago they had been laughing and joking with one another. Melody had been curled up into his side and Jasper had been picking on her for being a nature-freak after she'd identified three poisonous plants _without _Monty's help.

And now he was gone.

"Melody!"

Monty's voice finally broke through her daze and she forced herself to swallow the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. _You can do this, Mel. Put on a brave face like you always do. _And that's just what she did. Melody sat up and looked to Clarke and Finn, her face suddenly voice of the emotion that she felt deep in her stomach, brewing there like a storm. It was damn near impossible to keep her face neutral, but Melody somehow managed.

"What's our next move?" Mel asked, her voice breaking slightly in the middle of her question. But she brushed it off and cleared her throat, determined not to let it happen again.

"Getting the hell out of here." Finn said, looking around. His eyes scanned the forest for a moment before he spotted a gap between the trees; the same one they'd come through just fifteen minutes earlier. "There. It'll be a straight shot back to camp. On my command, you run your asses off. Got it?"

They got it. The five of them crouched behind the rocks, ready to spring at any moment. Finn's eyes searched the trees, but like Clarke's they didn't detect even the slightest rustle of leaves. The seconds that ticked by were excruciatingly slow. Everyone was tense and ready to get the hell out of what Melody assumed was enemy territory.

_How can we have enemies? How is anyone down here still alive? _The radiation should have wiped out everyone who wasn't on The Ark. There was no way anyone could have survived it…so how had they?

"Go!"

At Finn's command they leapt up and over the rocks, scrambling to get to the break in the trees. Melody ran faster than she had run ever before. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her legs ached by the time she made it into the forest, but Mel didn't allow herself to stop. She could hear frantic footsteps all around her and she assumed that it was the footsteps of her friends. Melody didn't even turn her head; she couldn't. She wasn't just running; she was running _away._ Away from that _place_, away from their _enemies, _and away from that _body._

The only thing keeping Melody sane was the sound of her footsteps against the ground. That and the sound of her own labored breathing. With each breath she drew in it felt as if her chest was on fire. The muscles in her legs hadn't been used like this in _years_. Rotting away in a prison cell didn't really require a whole lot of movement. Mel's entire body seemed to throb in protest in response to being overused with no preparation, but Melody didn't mind. The pain was a good thing. The pain let her know that she was still alive.

And that in itself was a gift.

Melody didn't slow down until she heard a muffled thumping noise behind her. Slowing to a stop, she turned around and saw that Monty had lost his footing and fallen face first into the dirt. _Monty! _How could she have left him behind? He'd been the one to drag her out of the enemy's line of fire. He had saved her life. _He's my only friend and I practically left him to die. _With that thought in mind, Melody rushed back to Monty's side just as he was getting to his feet.

"Are you hurt?" Melody asked, looking at him for any sign of physical damage. Monty shook his head slowly, his eyes glued to the ground.

It was then that Melody saw the bones.

"Who are they?" Finn asked, his voice holding just a twinge of panic. His dark eyes were focused on the bones that Monty had tripped over. Bones that looked identical to the bones of a human.

It was Clarke who picked them up. In her hands she held a disfigured skull. The top of it had almost a hear-shape, and it was nearly flat on every side. "_What_ are they?" Clarke wondered, staring at the object in her hands.

Octavia let out a breathless sigh, leaning against Monty slightly as she looked at the skull in Clarke's hands. "We are so screwed."

Melody had to agree.

"Aaaaaaaaugh!" The agonized cry rang out and echoed throughout the forest.

Melody immediately recognized it as Jasper. Her heart practically skipped a beat as she looked in the direction from which the shout had come. _He's alive._ She thought to herself, as first relief and then fear surged through her body. He was alive…but for how long?

Clarke was the first one to start running back towards where they came. Melody wasn't very far behind her. The danger of whatever lay back at the creek suddenly didn't seem so important to her. All she could think about was helping Jasper. If he was alive it wouldn't be for long without their help.

They broke through the clearing and Melody heard Finn telling them to stay behind the cover of the trees. She did so, crouching low as her eyes eagerly scanned the area where she had last seen Jasper. The light in her eyes slowly faded, however, when she realized that he was gone.

"He was right there."

"Where is he?"

It was Clarke who put the pieces together first. "They took him."

The words seemed to hang in the air between them all for a while. All five of them seemed to be wondering the same question. _Who are __**they**_? But there was no way to know the answer that question. Up until now, they'd thought they were alone. The reality was much, much harsher.

"We have to go." It was Finn again, pushing for them to leave. Pushing for them to leave _Jasper._

Melody opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to leave Jasper to those…_things._ But she also couldn't stand to see another one of her own get hut today. It was bad enough that Octavia was already injured and running on her bad leg. One more man down and they wouldn't have a chance. The girl was torn between wanting to stay and wanting to go, but in the end Melody knew that it would be no use to try and argue with them. It was go back to camp or die. And if she was going to help Jasper, she needed to be very much alive.

_We __**will**__ help him._

They trekked back to camp in a near-silence. Melody didn't even have the heart to smile when Monty offered her a wild flower that he'd picked from the forest floor. She'd simply uttered a soft thank you and had tucked the flower into her jacket for safe-keeping. No one was laughing or smiling. Without Jasper it just didn't seem to come as naturally to any of them. Without Jasper _nothing_ seemed to come as naturally. Not their smiles or their laughs or their sense of adventure. It was all too easy to feel the lack of his presence whenever someone thought about cracking a joke or saw something that looked like fun. So they just stayed silent.

Their arrival at the camp was greeted by a fight. Wells had another boy by the throat, with a knife pressed against his jugular. The sight turned Melody's stomach for more reasons than one. _We shouldn't be killing each other. Someone else is already trying. _But she didn't step forward to say anything. She didn't have the energy to face Bellamy Blake, who was looking on with interest.

It was Clarke who broke up the fight. Wells seemed to do whatever she said. So, when she commanded him to let the boy go, that's what he did. As the boy fell to the ground, Melody realized that she recognized him. _John Murphy. _The boy who had stopped Wells from putting his hands on Jasper earlier. The boy who had a sinister look in his eyes that gave Melody the chills.

Monty and Melody helped Octavia down the hill, going slowly so as not to hurt her even further. Octavia had already put far too much pressure on her leg by running away from the creek…and then running _back_ to it. And then away again. The strain was taking its toll on her.

Bellamy steered Octavia away from them, asking her if she was okay. To which Melody thought, _you're welcome _in a way that was less than friendly_. _She wisely refrained from saying what she thought and instead moved forward to listen as Clarke and Finn began to explain.

Melody listened as the two explained what she already knew. What they had been told about Earth was wrong. The last grounder to die on the Ark hadn't been the last. They weren't alone on Earth; there had been survivors.

"The good news is, that means _we_ can survive." Clarke said, trying to be optimistic. "The radiation won't kill us."

_Good for you, Clarke. But it's a crock. _Melody thought bitterly in regards to the girl's hopeful tone as she pulled her knees up to her chest and took a seat on the ground. The expression on her face must have shown her true feelings, because Melody felt a firm hand press against her shoulder. Her face tilted upwards and she saw Finn look down at her. He didn't try to smile or say anything to make her feel better; he was just _there._ And Melody appreciated it.

"The bad news is…" Finn said quietly, looking around the group as he put in his two-cents about their newfound enemy. "The grounders _will._"

Wells looked at the five of them suddenly, his eyes going to each of their faces. "Where's the kid with the goggles?"

For some reason, the question rubbed Melody the wrong way. "His name is _Jasper._" She hissed lowly, eyes narrowed into a glare as she looked at Wells.

Finn's hand squeezed her shoulder gently, and Melody forced herself to take in a deep breath. _Don't lose control, Mel. Be cool._

"Jasper was hit." Clarke explained, her voice going from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of moments. "They took him."

Clarke only grieved for a moment.

Her eyes had landed upon Wells' wrist, which was bare. "Where's your wrist band?"

Wells jerked his head in Bellamy's direction, his voice low and angry. "Ask him."

Melody's eyes flickered to her own wrist, where the bracelet was still blinking as it took her vitals. _They're taking them off._ Melody realized, looking between Bellamy and Murphy. For some reason t-hey wanted the Ark to think they were dying. Mel pulled the sleeves of her jacket down further to cover the metal band. She wasn't going to willingly let it go.

Clarke launched into her speech about life-support on the Ark failing. With each bracelet that came off, the Ark lost a little hope. If they couldn't come down then Melody would never see her mother again. Worse, her mother would _die._ Melody couldn't let that happen.

Bellamy, however, had different ideas.

The boy immediately began speaking to the prisoners, trying to get them to turn against Clarke. He was telling them that they were _strong._ Strong enough to fight the grounders. Strong enough to survive without the Ark. He was playing them like fiddles.

"They say you'll be forgiven for your crimes. I say you're _not criminals._" Bellamy shouted, getting a response from the group. "I say, the grounders should worry about _us_."

A cry rang out as the arrogant group of teenagers threw their hands in the air and agreed with every word that left their daunting _King's_ mouth. It made Melody sick to her stomach to see them all so…_excited._ Like they wanted the grounders to try and attack them. Them, a bunch of kids, a bunch of _outsiders_, planned to take on a group of natives who obviously had no ill thoughts over murdering people?

"They didn't _see_, Finn. They didn't see what happened to Jasper." Cried Melody, her voice anxious as she got to her feet. Finn reached out to grab her, but she was too quick.

Worried and anxious, she rushed up to Bellamy and put one small hand on his arm. His reaction was unexpected. The boy whipped around suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at Melody. He looked from her hand, to her, and back again. Mel dropped her hand and then crossed her arms over her chest as she took a step back.

"They'll kill us, Bellamy." Mel said, her voice rising with panic.

"Let them try." He replied, too cocky for his own good.

"They already got Jasper. It could be you next. Or Octavia." Mel pointed out, trying to make him see reason.

Her words only seemed to make the boy angrier. His hand lashed out and wrapped around her wrist. His grip was tight enough to cause pain to shoot up Melody's arms. Bellamy leaned in close and almost seemed to bar his teeth at her. "Worry about yourself."

Melody hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over her body as Bellamy grabbed her. It was a feeling she had always hated. And she had felt helpless more times today than she cared to admit.

"That's twice you've put your hands on me." Mel snapped, jerking her arm out of his grasp. Her breath was suddenly coming fast as she glared up at Bellamy, angered by his actions and his words. First he'd held her still on the dropship, letting Octavia have her moment. And now he'd manhandled her in front of everyone. "Try it a third time and I guarantee you won't like the results." Mel threatened, thankful that her voice had remained firm and strong.

"Oh?" Bellamy asked, taking another step in her direction. "What're you going to do, sweetheart? Kill me?" His eyes were filled with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as he stared down at her.

Melody was not afraid of the likes of Bellamy Blake…at least not _completely._ And she would be lying if she said the thought of ending his miserable life hadn't crossed her mind. But it wasn't up to Melody who lived and died. This was not an instance where she had to protect herself. This was just…life. And she would not let Bellamy get to her.

"No. You wouldn't be the worth the guilt." Melody said after a moment. She retreated a few more steps, her eyes never leaving Bellamy's.

"You alright, Mel?" Finn was suddenly at her side, looking between Melody and Bellamy curiously.

_No. I'm not alright._ Melody thought to herself, clenching her hands into fists at her side. Bellamy didn't shift his gaze. Melody didn't want to. But she couldn't look at him for another minute. So, she turned her head to look at Finn and nodded once. "Great. Let's go find Clarke."

Melody walked a few steps before turning around to face Bellamy once more. "By the way, my name isn't _sweetheart._ It's Melody." Said the girl loudly, before carrying on.

As the two of them walked towards the dropship, Melody could still feel his intense stare burning holes into her back.

|oOo|

"…you aren't going either."

Melody and Finn walked onto the ship just in time to catch the last half of Clarke's sentence. Wells and Monty wore matching expressions, both clearly upset about something.

"Like hell I'm not. Jasper's my best friend!" Argued Monty, frowning at Clarke who had just broken the news to him that he wouldn't be going on the rescue mission.

She then began to launch into a speech about how Monty was too important to go with them. He had been raised on Farm Station _and_ recruited by engineering. That meant he knew about food and communication; two essential things.

Upon seeing Melody and Finn enter the tent, Monty's eyes lit up hopefully. "Melody knows about plants." He told Clarke, looking between the two of them. "Enough to keep us alive."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Melody protested, holding her hands up in her own defense. "You grew up on _Agro_, Monty. You know how to farm and grow food and make something out of nothing. I grew up in the Sky Box. I'm essentially useless."

"Come on, Mel. You _grew up_ in the Sky Box?" Monty asked, scoffing as if he didn't believe her. Melody immediately cringed at the words she had so carelessly let slip.

The "Sky Box" was another name for the Prison Station. It was true that she had essentially "grown up" on the Prison Station. The first few years of her life had been spent on Medical, when her father was still alive and serving as the head doctor. When Melody was eight, however, her father was floated and she and her mother were sent to Factory Station. Mel spent the next five years there until she had been arrested.

"Yeah. Where are you from Mel?" Finn asked curiously, tilting his head to study her with his intense gaze. There was a hint of nervousness in his eyes and Melody knew that he was avoiding the task at hand. Making idle small talk and hoping to prolong things before they went back out to get themselves killed.

As always, Melody became uncomfortable and distant when discussing her past. "It doesn't matter right now. We need to focus on getting Jasper." She reminded them shortly, crossing her arms and pinning Finn and Monty with her serious stare.

"She's right." Clarke agreed with a swift nod, before she looked at Melody and Finn. "You ready?"

"Totally. Let's go." Melody said immediately, ready to get down to business.

Finn, however, was more reluctant. "I'm not going anywhere." He said simply, looking between the two of us. "And neither should any of you."

"It's _Jasper_." Melody exclaimed, looking at Finn with a look of disgust etched on her face.

"We're just going to let Jasper die?" Monty asked, his voice reflecting Melody's emotions perfectly; angry and disgusted.

"That is _not_ an option." Clarke assured him before training her eyes on Finn once more. "Spacewalker? What a joke."

"You pretend to be an adventurer." Clarke continued, her tone soft and almost sad.. "You're really just a coward."

"This isn't an adventure, Clarke. It's a suicide mission!" Finn protested, but Clarke didn't want to hear any of it.

The blonde brushed by Finn and ducked out of the dropship. Melody looked at Finn, utterly disappointed. He'd been so eager to get out and explore everything and now, when they _really_ needed him, he was chickening out.

"Don't worry, Monty. We'll bring him back." Melody assured the boy, offering him a smile that could only be described as shaky, at best.

Melody moved towards the exit slowly and precisely. Her eyes were trained on Finn the whole time. The boy had the decency to look ashamed, but Melody felt no pity for him or his cowardly ways. Suddenly, her first lashed out and struck Finn hard in the chest as she passed him by. "We are Apache." She said firmly, giving him one more disgusted once-over before she walked out of the dropship. Wells wasn't far behind.

It took Melody only a few seconds to reach Clarke. "So, what's first?" Melody asked curiously, walking at Clarke's side with her arms crossed over her chest. Everything about Melody's stance seemed to scream "don't screw with me."

Maybe she really was unapproachable.

"Bellamy."

The answer displeased Melody, who wasn't exactly Bellamy Blake's number one fan. Her eyes easily found the male who was currently crouched beside his sister, tending to the wound that she had gotten earlier. Mel stopped in her tracks, allowing Clarke and Wells to go ahead and recruit Bellamy. She just didn't have the patience...Luckily, whatever Clarke said seemed to convince Bellamy that he should tag along. The boy immediately began barking orders. _How typical. _It caused Melody to roll her eyes in annoyance. Nevertheless, she brushed by him and took her rightful place at Clarke's side. She would _not_ let Bellamy Blake get to her.

"He's all bark." Melody complained to Clarke and Wells as the three of them walked away from camp at a hurried pace. Melody looked over her shoulder, not yet seeing Bellamy and his little bodyguard, Murphy.

"These aren't just bullies, guys. They're real criminals." Wells said, his tone serious as he mimicked Melody's actions and looked over his shoulder.

Neither one of the girls were intimidated.

"That's what I'm counting on." Clarke raised her chin higher and marched on, completely unaffected by Wells' words.

Melody thought for a moment before nodding her head at Clarke's words. Bellamy and Murphy would be useful. The chances of the two of them having killed before was on the high side. Mel had killed, too, but no one knew that. And with that depressing thought on her mind, Mel added her own two cents. "We're _all_ criminals, Wells."

The male just shook his head and remained silent. It was obvious that he didn't think Mel and Clarke were taking him as seriously as he had expected. Personally, Melody thought that he worried far too much. People often mistook her small, almost dainty body and her big, innocent eyes for signs of weakness. It was clear that Wells was one of those people. The reality of it all was much different.

The trio hurried on at a quick, steady pace. The sound of slower footsteps off to the side could be heard as Bellamy and Murphy kept their distance. Melody was grateful that they didn't try and barge their way into the group. Mel trusted Clarke and only Clarke…for now. She was a logical girl with medical knowledge and she gave them the best shot at finding Jasper. Not to mention she was a natural-born leader.

It was a five or ten minutes into their walk before Clarke broke the silence among the three of them. "Relax, Melody. We _will_ find him." She said, turning her kind and patient eyes towards Melody who wore a rather worrisome look.

"Jasper is only part of the problem." Melody said softly, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder and see where Bellamy and Murphy had gone. "I don't trust them."

As if on cue, Bellamy and Murphy came towards the three of them from the side.

"Hey, hold up." Bellamy said, moving towards them at his own leisure. "You don't survive a spear to the heart." He went on, his voice sounding a bit too _uninterested_ for Melody's taste. In his hand was the gun that he was rumored to have. The sight of it caused Melody to scowl and tense.

"Hey, put the gun away Bellamy." Wells moved towards the boy, but was immediately intercepted by Murphy. _The ever doting bodyguard._

Murphy had gripped the collar of Wells' shirt and was pushing him backwards. Away from Bellamy. "Why don't you do something about it?"

"If you two could stop your shit for two seconds, that'd be great." Melody snapped out, glaring between both of the boys who were acting completely asinine.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him." Clarke pointed out, looking at Bellamy with mildly-contained annoyance. "If the spear had struck his heart he would have died instantly."

"_Meaning_, we don't have time to waste." Melody piped up, stepping forward.

Bellamy's hand snaked out and wrapped around Clarke's wrist. "As soon as you take off the wristband we can go."

Melody stepped forward, almost standing between Clarke and Bellamy. The blonde girl snatched her arm away from Bellamy, his eyes blazing. "The only way the Ark is going to think I'm dead is if I _am_ dead. Got it?"

Out of instinct, Melody pulled the sleeves of her jacket down further to cover her wristband as she had done earlier.

"The brave princess." Bellamy said snidely, his lips curving upwards and into a smirk.

"Hey. How about you get your own nickname?"

Suddenly there was Finn, walking briskly towards them. Melody looked over at the boy, crossing her arms over her chest as she all but glared at him. His cowardice was not forgotten; it would never be forgotten.

"You call this a rescue party? We need to split up. We'll cover more ground." Finn ordered, further increasing Melody's annoyance.

_He can't just swoop in and order us around. _She thought angrily, watching as he looked around the group once.

"Girls, you come with me." Finn said, nodding his head towards the direction he intended to go in.

Clarke immediately began to follow, but Melody stood her ground firmly. "No." She said, succeeding in surprising everyone. "I'll stick with Bellamy."

Finn was no idiot; he knew why she refused to go with him. Melody had never been the forgive-and-forget type. The boy nodded his head slowly, eyes locked on Melody's. "We are Apache." He echoed her earlier words with an apologetic smile, before walking off with Clarke.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"So what's the deal with you and goggle boy?" Bellamy asked almost immediately, not being the type to beat around the bush.

Melody could see the curious look in his eyes when their gazes met. It was no surprise that he, like the rest of the group, was curious about the way she acted when it came to Jasper. Melody herself didn't quite know where her determinedness and bravery had come from. All she knew was how much it hurt her to think of Jasper wounded and out there all alone. That thought alone was enough to fuel her desire to find him.

"We're friends." Said Melody, giving Bellamy a look that clearly said _this is none of your business. _

Still, he didn't let it go. "Friends?" Bellamy scoffed and looked at Melody as if he was less than convinced. "I wouldn't go running off on a suicide mission for one of my _friends_."

_That's because you don't have any._

"But you'd do it for Octavia." Melody's tone was sharp as she kept her eyes facing forward. Either Bellamy could not take a hint or he didn't care about her annoyance.

"Octavia is my sister. I'd do anything for her." Bellamy argued, her voice suddenly taking a more threatening tone once Octavia's name had been brought into the mix. It wasn't meant to intimidate or frighten Melody; it was habitual.

"Jasper may not be my brother, but I would do anything for him." She explained, turning to look at Bellamy with a slightly less hostile expression on her face this time around. "We do crazy things for the people we care about."

An almost guilty expression flickered across Bellamy's face. It disappeared so fast, however, that Melody thought she may have imagined it. The look was one she knew all too well; one she often wore herself. Which lead Mel to begin questioning things. Did Bellamy Blake have a deep, dark secret that he wasn't sharing?

Melody broke the sudden silence that had formed between them. "Why do you ask?"

"Huh?" Bellamy gave her a confused look, as if he had long ago lost interest in the conversation and had no idea what she was getting at.

"Why did you ask? About me and Jasper, I mean." Explained Melody, her curiosity replacing her earlier annoyance.

"Oh." Bellamy said flatly, shrugging one shoulder in a rather lazy motion. "I saw the two of you together. First in the dropship, when you were talking. And then when we landed and you were celebrating. You just looked kind of…close."

"Oh." Melody echoed his words, nodding her head. "That makes sense. We are close; or at least as close as two people can be whilst having known each other for less than forty-eight hours."

It was surreal to think that Melody had only known Jasper for little more than a day. He and Monty had accepted her into their little circle so whole-heartedly that she felt as if she had known them forever.

"You've only known him since you got on the dropship?" Bellamy's voice sounded rather surprised as he looked at Melody, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes."

"Yet you almost intervened yesterday when Wells looked like he was about to lay Jasper out." It was more of a statement than a question. Bellamy looked at Melody expectantly, trying to get his facts straight.

"Yes." Repeated Melody, raising her head higher.

"And you're risking your own life on the off-chance that he survived the attack from the grounders."

"Yes."

"A guy you just met yesterday."

"_Yes._" Melody exclaimed, clearly exasperated by the endless amount of questions that seemed to flow from the boy. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Bellamy held his hands up, looking at Melody with an amused smirk on his face. "Hey, I was just curious."

"Well mind your own business."

Melody knew that it was the wrong thing to say almost immediately. The light in Bellamy's eyes darkened and his smirk turned into a frown. It was hard not to be intimidated by the glare he was giving her, but Melody managed to keep her eyes forward and her legs moving at a brisk pace.

"These people _are_ my business." Bellamy's voice was rough and sharp as he quickened his steps to catch up to Melody.

"Oh. Why's that?" Melody asked, looking at Bellamy with a scowl. "Because they listen to you?"

"Yes." He replied, his eyes narrowing. "They listen to me. They take my advice. I am responsible for them."

Melody couldn't help but to scoff at his words. From what she had seen, Bellamy ruled with an iron fist. He gave them two choices; obey or be punished. And with Murphy and his little gang backing Bellamy, no one dared to defy him. They may be criminals, but they weren't all ruthless killers. A lot of them were scared kids who had gotten thrown into the Sky Box for next to nothing. _Everything _on the Ark was a crime.

"They're scared. Scared of you, your psychotic side-kick, and the gun holstered at your hip." Melody informed him, pointing towards his right hip, where she could see the outline of the gun pressing against the fabric of his tee-shirt. "You aren't a leader Bellamy. You're a bully."

The pressure of his fingers wrapping around her arm caused Melody to cry out in surprise. Bellamy's grip was tight as he pulled her closer to him. His voice dropped to a deadly growl and his eyes were alit with a ferocious light that Melody had never seen before.

"Watch yourself, Melody." Warned the boy.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Melody mocked, repeating the words he had thrown at her earlier.

It took a lot of energy, but Melody managed to pull her arm out of his grasp. The feeling of blood rushing back into her arm was almost painful. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Bellamy, taking a few steps away from him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but at that moment she heard a voice ringing out among the trees.

"Melody!" She immediately recognized the voice as Clarke's.

"Clarke!" Melody shouted back, alarmed.

She took off running in the direction of the voice before she could think better of it, her mind and body not exactly on the same wavelength yet. Melody's heart was hammering in her chest as she ran blindly towards the sound of the voice. The sound of heavy footsteps followed her, and she knew that they belonged to the remainder of their search party.

_Please don't let her be dead. _

Melody broke through a small clearing, stumbling to a slow stop as she came face to face with a small body of water. Her chest seemed to tighten as she took a cautious step backwards. Nothing good ever seemed to come from the water on Earth.

"It's safe." A gruff voice muttered, coming up behind her.

Melody recognized the voice as Bellamy's. She turned to scowl at him, her anger bubbling to the surface once more. He didn't _know._ While she and the rest of the group had gone out to find Mount Weather, Bellamy had stayed behind in his cushy little tent and spent the day ordering people around. He just didn't _know._

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Demanded Melody, who was looking less than pleased by his constant presence.

"Says your _princess._" Bellamy remarked, jerking his head in the direction of something on the other side.

Melody turned and looked in that direction, relief flooding her when she saw Clarke and Finn crouched down in front of some rocks. For a moment she had almost thought that they were hurt. That they would suffer the same fate as Jasper…for once, she was glad to have been wrong.

"Clarke!" Mel called out, smiling as she lowered herself into the water and began moving towards them.

The water only came up to Melody's waist, so she didn't have to worry about swimming. It was cold, but it wasn't unpleasant. _Nothing_ like a cold shower. In fact, it was quite refreshing. Melody quickly made her way to the other side, now interested in what the pair had been so intently studying before she arrived.

"Hey. Did you…" Melody trailed off as her eyes registered the bright red blood coating the rocks around the waterfall. Her eyes scanned the two of them only to find no damage had been done. "Jasper." She said softly, bending down to look at the rather fresh-looking blood.

"They must have brought him here." Finn said quietly as he dipped his finger into the crimson liquid. "Recently." He added, wiping his hand in the dirt near the rocks.

"Finn thinks he can track him." Clarke told Melody, giving her a smile that was riddled with hope and excitement. And then Clarke held up something that made Melody gasp quietly.

Jasper's goggles.

"Track him? How?" Melody wondered, taking the goggles out of Clarke's hands and examining them. After a moment she tucked them into her jacket and turned her attention towards Finn. "Let me worry about it." He said, standing from his crouched position. "I'll find him."

Melody slowly nodded her head as she watched Finn turn and begin to walk away from them, presumably to lead the way to Jasper. Trust didn't come easy to Melody; it never had. And after Finn's earlier reluctance to find Jasper, Melody didn't know if she could rely on him anymore. And Clarke's eagerness to follow after Finn when she had been so obviously disgusted with him earlier made her a questionable ally as well.

"You'd better, Spacewalker." _Or you'll answer to me. _

"We'll find him, Melody." A gentle hand rested upon Melody's shoulder as Clarke's kind eyes met hers. "We _will_ find him." Clarke gave Melody a rather half-hearted smile and then the two of them began to follow after Finn.

They walked for miles.

Finn led the group with his eyes peeled as he studied everything around them. He looked at the dirt beneath their feet, the trees, the rocks; all of it. Melody assumed that he was searching for some sign that they were going in the right direction.

Clarke was at Finn's side, making small talk and trying to help out to the best of her abilities. But the girl's area of expertise was not tracking; it was doctoring. As much use as she was when it came to bumps and bruises, Clarke was nothing more than an extra set of hands right now. And Melody had a feeling that not being able to help more was bothering the poor princess.

Melody and the rest of them trailed behind, having accepted the fact that they would be of no help. Hell, Melody didn't even know if Bellamy and Murphy _wanted_ to help. Bellamy was only tagging along because Clarke had questioned his authority. Murphy was here because Bellamy was. And Wells…he seemed to have some sort of desperate need to keep Clarke safe. Melody guessed that the two of them had been friends once upon a time before they'd come down to Earth.

It was Murphy who broke the silence that had slowly formed over the group.

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" He wondered, looking to Clarke and Finn for answers.

It was Bellamy who responded. "We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

Melody rolled her eyes at the level of testosterone in the group. To be honest, they were all starting to wear on her nerves. Having been deprived of human contact for the last four years, Melody had gotten used to not having to listen to pointless comments with malicious undertones. Being among the living once more was proving to be an adjustment.

Mel hadn't realized that they'd stopped until she nearly ran into Wells, who was paused and looking forward. Melody's eyes slowly followed his gaze until they rested on Finn, who was crouched near a small bush. She noticed the blood then, dark-red and dripping from the branches to form a small puddle on a bed of rocks below.

"Are we close?" Mel asked eagerly, pushing her way forward to stand beside Finn and Clarke.

A strangled moaning sound reached Melody's ears then, as if in reply to her question. She looked around the group and realized that no one had uttered the sound. It had come from deeper into the forest. And it sounded very, _very_ pained.

"What the hell was that?" Finn wondered, standing up and turning in the direction of the noise.

Clarke instructed Bellamy to take out his gun, and Mel could feel her chest tightening at the thought of the danger that lay on the other side of the trees. She wanted to be afraid, but she forced herself not to. She _had_ to continue. Jasper was out there somewhere and she was going to bring him back to Monty, just like they'd promised.

Melody found herself practically sandwiched between Bellamy and Murphy as they began to go after whatever creature had made that noise. She wanted to feel disgusted, and part of her did, but Melody was also glad that she was standing between the only _armed_ members of their group. Finn, Clarke, Wells, and Melody didn't have weapons. They hadn't thought they would need them. How foolish they had been.

The walk through the trees was a short one. They soon came to a small break in the trees that led to a rather large clearing. The first thing that Melody noted was the long, thick grass that grew here. It was a lighter green color than what she had seen before, and it was long; perfect for predators. Next she noticed the large tree that stood alone in the middle of the little grotto. It was tall and wide and presumably old, but still beautiful.

And finally, she noticed the body.

|oOo|

"Jasper."

They all stood in sort of a stunned silence. Melody's eyes were fixated on the boy who had been tied to the tree with what appeared to be some sort of rope. Another moan left his lips, and Melody felt relief rush over her. _He's alive. _

"Oh my god, Jasper." Mel whispered softly, torn between being relieved and being horrified.

"Melody." She felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder as Bellamy whispered her name, for her ears only.

Melody shrugged away from his touch and immediately began to move forward, her heart racing wildly. She didn't want anyone, _especially_ Bellamy Blake, to console her at the moment. All she wanted to do was get Jasper down and make good on her word to Monty. And make good on her word to herself.

As Melody went for the tree, she heard the sound of a struggle to her left. Her eyes landed on Clarke, dangling above some sort of trap that must have been set by the grounders. Her green gaze trailed from Clarke to Bellamy, who was holding onto her hand, and then back.

_I need to save Jasper…but I need to save Clarke. _

The fact that she even hesitated for a moment made Melody feel immensely guilty. She ran back to Clarke's side, reaching down to grip her arm. Mel's gaze flickered to Bellamy, who seemed to have had his own moment of hesitation. Luckily for them, there were three others there to help them make the right decision. The five of them managed to haul Clarke up and out of the hole she had nearly fallen into.

"We need to save Jasper." Melody reminded them, the urgency in her voice nearly hysterical. The attachment that she had to Jasper was definitely not healthy, but it was all she had. Mel was in way over her head. She'd gotten herself in too deep, too fast; but there was no turning back now.

"I'll go up and cut the ropes." Finn offered, begging to move towards the tree.

He recruited Murphy to help him and ordered Wells to stay with Clarke. Finn made some off-hand comment about watching Bellamy, and Melody could guess why.

"There's a poultice on his wound." Clarke said, her tone slightly surprised and slightly curious.

Melody knew what that meant; _medicine._ The grounders had shot Jasper and then they'd given him something to heal him. Or partially-heal him considering the fact that he looked as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

"Why would they keep him alive?" Mel asked, staring up at Jasper in wonder.

"To string him up as live bait."

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner breathing." Bellamy suggested, looking between Jasper and the trap.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is _us_." Interjected Finn.

There was silence then, as they all took that in. That sounded like the most likely answer if you asked Melody. The grounders obviously would not hesitate before killing one of them. Or at least seriously injuring one of them.

They were in hot water.

"Be careful with him." Melody called up to Finn and Murphy, who were busily cutting the ropes.

"And hurry up." Clarke added, looking around nervously.

They were all nervous. At any moment the grounders could come back to collect Jasper. Or to collect whatever they had hoped to gain by stringing him up like that. And none of them wanted to be around when that happened.

The sound of twigs snapping caused Melody to whirl in the direction from which they had just come. She heard a low growl, and her eyes widened as she tried to look for whatever was coming at them.

"Bellamy, gun!" Clarke shouted, her voice mirroring Melody's rising panic.

The sound of gunshots echoed then, but it was not Bellamy who wielded the gun. It was Wells. Somehow, he had managed to get the gun away from Bellamy without the male knowing. There was one shot, then two, then three. None of them hit the target.

"Wells!" Cried Melody, who was worriedly watching the black shape of what looked like some sort of feline.

The animal was not approaching them. Rather, it was approaching Bellamy who stood alone. He was just a foot or two away, but he couldn't run to them. Instead, the boy looked around, his eyes trying to follow the sound of the creature's growling.

Melody never thought that her heart would skip a beat for Bellamy Blake.

But that's exactly what happened when she watched the panther leap for him. Mel reached out, as if she could stop the impending attack. Bellamy's back was to the creature and he didn't see it. Time seemed to stand still, and then the final shot rang out. The panther fell to the ground by Bellamy's feet.

It was dead.

"Get him down before we all get eaten." Melody urged the two boys in the tree who were working far too slowly for their liking.

"We're doing our best, Mel." Finn told her, sounding rather annoyed by the fact that she was trying to get them to move faster.

"Oh,I'm sorry, Finn. Are _you_ the one strung up like a piece of meat?" Melody asked, the question laced with sarcasm and obviously rhetorical.

"Melody." Clarke's voice as softer than Finn's and much more soothing. Melody knew that Clarke had lost her father. She knew what it felt like to have absolutely no control over the lives of the people you loved. Clarke could sympathize and that was why Melody didn't lash out at her.

"Sorry." Mel muttered, although she felt little to no remorse for her words.

They were quiet then, watching as Finn and Murphy freed Jasper from the ropes that were holding him against the tree. Melody's anxiety rose with every passing moment. They all felt a bit paranoid and expected a grounder attack at any moment. Luckily, there was no signs of the enemy.

"We've almost got him." Finn announced, about ten minutes after they had begun cutting. "You guys come close and be ready, just in case."

Melody didn't know what she was supposed to be getting ready for, but she stood at the base of the tree on high-alert. She, Clarke, Wells, and Bellamy made a small semi-circle around the tree. They held their arms out, and it became apparent to Melody that they were there to catch Jasper if he were to fall.

"Alright, Murphy. I've got the top. You get the bottom." Finn ordered, wrapping his arms around Jasper's torso as the last of the ropes were cut away.

Together, the two of them managed to get Jasper out of the tree with a minimal amount of difficulty. Once they had lowered him down far enough, Bellamy and Wells took over. They supported Jasper's body and between the four of them, they managed to carry him.

Melody didn't stray from Jasper's side once. She busied herself with talking to him and she brushed back his dark hair that was now caked with blood and dirt. It was terrifying to see Jasper laying there, unconscious and still. But at least he was _alive._

"I told you I'd find him." Finn said to Melody, grunting slightly as he worked to support Jasper's left side, with the help of Bellamy. Nevertheless, he managed to grin at her.

"You also said you weren't going to come." Melody reminded him, obviously still not over that little fact. Still, Finn had led them to Jasper. And for that, she was grateful. "But thank you."

The walk back to camp was taking longer than it had the first time, what with them having to carry Jasper's limp body. No one complained, not even once, and Melody half-suspected that it was for fear of her wrath.

"Are you sure you two are _just_ friends?" Finn asked Melody, raising his eyebrows skeptically. "The way you look at him suggests otherwise."

By this point, Melody was far too relieved to be angry with Finn's invasive questioning. So, she decided just to humor him.

"We're _just_ friends." Mel insisted, looking at Jasper fondly.

"And the look?" Pressed Finn. He obviously wasn't going to give up easily. It sounded like someone else she knew…

"What look?" Melody asked, her voice more curious than defensive during this round of twenty questions. Bellamy had caught her at a bad time; Finn had gotten lucky.

It's just…intense. Like he's the only person on the planet that really matters." Finn explained to the best of his ability, but Melody didn't recall giving Jasper any _look._

"Jasper was the first person I talked to in four years." Melody admitted, willingly offering up a detail about her personal life. "I was sent to the Sky Box when I was thirteen years old. Solitary."

There was a surprised hush among the group now as they all listened to her story with intent eyes. It made Melody a bit uncomfortable, but for some reason she didn't feel like she was letting any of her secrets go. No one knew _why_ she was in there.

"I was convinced we were all going to die on that ship. But not Jasper. He held my hand and told me that it would all be okay." Continued Melody, her voice softening as she looked at Jasper with a sad smile. "No one had ever done that before. No one had ever told me that it was going to be okay. He gave me hope."

The rest of them remained silent, seemingly caught up in Melody's story. Melody didn't like to share things about herself; she had made that obvious. And the chances of it happening again were very slim. But for now, with the sun slowly sinking and a peaceful silence between them all, she felt that it was okay to let it out a little at a time.

"You look at him like that because he was the only one there for you." Finn said quietly, looking at Melody with soft eyes. "The rest of us had someone. We came down here with hope of being reunited with our loved ones. Some of us came down here with friends. But you…you were alone."

Melody nodded her head, surprised that Finn had managed to put into words exactly what she was feeling. "And now I'm not."

"Now you're not." Finn repeated her words, but when he said them, they almost sounded like a promise.

It was dark before they made it back to the camp.

Clarke and Melody immediately made their way towards the dropship, with Wells and Finn shortly behind them. The two boys were now solely supporting Jasper, seeing as how Murphy and Bellamy had decided that carrying the panther back was more important than Jasper's safe arrival.

"Who's hungry?" Bellamy shouted, dropping the panther in the middle of the circle that had quickly formed around them. Enthused cheers and words of gratitude echoed in Melody's ears as she turned her back on the sight and walked into the dropship.

Finn and Wells managed to get Jasper onto a makeshift cot before going out to find the supplies that Clarke would need to tend to Jasper's wound. Melody sat down beside the bed, brushing Jasper's hair out of his face once more.

She turned her head to look at Clarke and offered her a small smile. "We did it."

"That we did." The blonde smiled back at her as she sat down on Jasper's other side. "We're lucky we went after him."

"He'd be dead now if we hadn't." Melody said quietly, thinking about the dead panther that was about to become their dinner.

"But he isn't. He's _alive_, Melody." Clarke said gently, looking at Jasper, who appeared to be so fragile and sickly. "We did well."

They both looked up as they heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder. It wasn't long before Monty popped his head up through the hatch, staring at them intently. "He's alive?"

"He's alive." Melody agreed softly, gesturing to the boy who lay between her and Clarke. "See for yourself."

Monty wasted no time in rushing over towards them. Melody could practically see the relief wash across his face when he saw Jasper's chest rise and fall. Monty sat down beside her, hard. Sensing that he could use a friend, Mel reached out and entwined her fingers with his.

"He's _alive._" She repeated, giving Monty's fingers a gentle squeeze as she did so.

"Thank you, Melody." Monty's voice was grave as he looked at her. "Thank you for bringing him back."

Melody knew that Monty wasn't suggesting that the rescue mission had been a success because of _her_. There was a reason that he didn't thank Clarke or Finn or Wells. He was thanking Melody because she had gone in his place. She had been there for Jasper, as a friend, when Monty could not. And to him, that was precious.

"You're welcome." Mel whispered back, swallowing as she felt a lump begin to form in her throat. _Damn emotions. _

Finn and Wells arrived soon, with the supplies that Clarke had requested. She took the clean water and gently washed away the dirt and blood that clung to Jasper's skin. Melody helped her with this part. Then Clarke had to tend to his wound, which Melody couldn't really stomach. Even if she could it wasn't like she would be much of a help. So, she sat idly by as Clarke bandaged Jasper and made sure he was in the best condition possible.

They couldn't stand by Jasper's side forever. After Clarke's instant urging that they go outside and make themselves busy, Melody and Monty finally left Jasper's bedside. They did so reluctantly.

The two of them decided to sit by the fire. Monty said it might take their minds off of things, so Melody agreed with him. When they went outside, however, the campfire was being put to use. Bellamy and his henchman had cooked the animal that they'd brought back and were surrounding the fire. Lined up as far as she could see was the rest of the 100, all of them itching to get something in their bellies.

It was then that Melody realized what was going on. When each person stepped forward, they were greeted by either Murphy or another one of his group. Each was equipped with some sort of crow-bar looking piece of metal that they used to pry the wristbands off of people. As soon as the wristband came off it was tossed into a pile and the person was given a piece of meat.

"They're taking off their wristbands for food."

Clarke's voice interrupted Melody's thoughts. Green eyes met blue and Melody slowly nodded, feeling as horrified as Clarke looked. The last thing she wanted to do was take off her wristband. It was the only thing letting the people on the Ark know that she was alive. It was, quite literally, her life line.

"I won't do it." Clarke insisted, shaking her head.

"You won't have to." Finn insisted, before he walked forward and took a piece of the meat, which was speared by a sitck.

There was a few brief words between Finn and Murphy. Melody was too far away to hear what was said, but it resulted in Finn walking away and Murphy saying nothing. Clarke followed suit. It was when a third person went to do it that Bellamy noticed. Melody watched as his arm was drawn back, and then he let it sail forward to collide with the boy's cheek. The boy scrambled backwards, away from Bellamy.

This angered Melody for more than one reason. Before she could think better of it, she was marching up to Bellamy.

"You think you can just thrash anyone who doesn't play by your rules?" Mel demanded angrily, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at him.

Melody was well aware of the eyes on her. No one had dared to stand up to Bellamy thus far, aside from Clarke. There had already been an audience from when he'd lunged for the poor boy who now had a bloody nose. Now their attention simply shifted, towards Melody.

"Don't test me, Melody." Bellamy warned, his voice dark and threatening. It was clear that he didn't like being stood up to. And Melody didn't like being pushed around.

Her hand snapped out and towards the right, grabbing hold of one of the sticks that roasted above the fire. Her green gaze met Bellamy's and stayed there, as if challenging him. "Are you going to punch me, Bellamy?"

Melody didn't know whether Bellamy would actually strike her or not. Where they came from, you didn't hit a woman. It was punishable by law. But this was not the Ark; this was Earth. And Melody was playing with the big boys now. Mel knew that she could take a hit and survive. Even a hit from Bellamy Blake.

"Of course not, Melody." Bellamy's tone had gone from dark to entirely too friendly.

Before Melody knew what was happening, she was being held between Murphy and his partner. Each had a firm grip on one of her arms. Melody struggled, but it was no use. She was not strong enough to get out of their tight grasp.

"Bellamy, don't do this." Melody said, her voice surprisingly even. She actually sounded firm and in control. Which she definitely was _not_ at the moment.

"Sorry, sweetheart. If you want to eat, we get the little bracelet."

Bellamy moved forward slowly, crowbar in hand. Melody was desperate to get even one arm free, but the more she struggled the tighter they held her. Mel watched as her sleeve slowly crept upwards, revealing the shiny wristband that was monitoring her vitals.

"Bellamy." Melody was closer to pleading than she would have liked. "If you do this they'll think I'm dead. They'll think we're _all_ dead."

Something in his eyes told Melody that he already knew that. He _wanted_ the Ark to think that they were dying. He didn't want them to come down to Earth. Melody knew that much, but she couldn't figure out why. What had happened that made him hate the Ark so much? What would make him condemn innocent people to death?

"You'll regret this." Melody whispered, shaking her head as she stared up at him with unforgiving eyes. She could hold a grudge; she _would_ hold a grudge.

"You'll thank me." Bellamy whispered in response, positioning the crowbar between the wristband and her skin.

_Don't hold your breath. _

She heard the sound of metal on metal. Bellamy grunted softly as he pushed downwards on the handle, intent on ridding her of the wristband. For a moment Melody thought that it didn't work. She could still feel the cool metal against her skin. She was relieved, until Bellamy pressed down on the crowbar once again.

And then, she felt the pain.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'd like to thank everyone for the positive reviews! Rest assured, I am seeing them. I have no idea how to reply to them, or if that's even possible, but I do see them. Thank you! **

**Chapter Six**

"His pulse is thready."

Melody sat straight-up, her owlish-eyes blinking at Clarke for a few moments. Her body had moved faster than her mind, and a thick veil of sleep made everything hazy for a few moments. "Thready? What does that mean?" Asked the worried girl, as she slowly pushed to her feet in order to stand beside Jasper.

"It means I can hardly hear it." Clarke muttered. The girl's eyes fell upon Melody then, and she gave her a gentle and worried look. "Did you sleep for even an hour, Melody?"

No, she hadn't. Melody's barely-contained anger towards Bellamy and her constant worry for Jasper had made her restless all night. The lack of sleep didn't bother Melody, though. She hadn't gotten very much sleep before she had been sent to Earth. Melody was constantly running on low batteries and it had yet to make her melt down, so that was a good sign. But she wasn't going to tell Clarke any of this.

"I'm fine, Clarke. You can hardly hear his pulse." Melody reminded her, looking down at Jasper.

As he had done continually throughout the night, Jasper let out a pained moan as his body began to writhe. Melody pressed her hand firmly against his shoulder to ensure that he didn't move too much. Almost as quickly as it had started, it stopped and Jasper was silent once more.

"_Shut that kid up_!"

"_Make him be quiet._"

"_Can't he just die already_?"

Melody was silently fuming as she glared in the direction of the hatch that led to the lower level of the drop ship. The rest of the 100 were more worried about getting a full night's rest than whether or not Jasper would live. It disgusted Melody, but she supposed it was how people were. Human nature was truly a frightening thing.

"Don't listen to them, Jasper. You're going to make it." Clarke ran a hand through Jasper's dark hair as she spoke softly to him. Then, she straightened up and began moving towards the exit. "I'm going to go get some clean water. Keep an eye on him."

Monty, who had been in the corner messing around with the wristbands, began to move towards where Jasper lay. Melody moved over to make room for him to sit. They were silent for a few moments as they looked at Jasper, neither one of them having anything to say.

It was Monty who spoke first. "About your bracelet, Melody." He began quietly and trailed off, leaving it open for Melody to protest.

And she did. Gladly.

"I don't want to talk about it, Monty. What's done is done." Melody replied, running her fingers around the wrist that had previously been equipped with a metal band.

"Okay." Agreed Monty, nodding his head. "I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you. _We're_ here for you." He amended, gently patting Jasper's arm.

The words brought a wide smile to Melody's face. A genuine smile that she felt all the way to her core. Mel had never realized how nice it felt to have someone there for you. To have someone willing to listen to you and help you to the best of their abilities. It was a _great_ feeling.

"Thanks, Monty." Melody said, her words sincere.

Their attention was drawn to Jasper once more as he began to let out a series of strangled moans and groans. Mel watched him with a frown, attempting to block out the complaining that could be heard from down below. Things weren't looking good for Jasper; that was true. But things wouldn't be looking good for those kids either if they didn't shut their mouths.

"Don't let them get to you, Mel." Monty told her, throwing a disgusted look over his shoulder. "They're idiots."

"Isn't it sad?" Melody asked suddenly, turning her thoughtful eyes onto Monty.

"Isn't what sad?" Came his curious reply.

"How little they care about human life. On the Ark, we were all disposable. The majority of the crimes were punishable by death. Ninety percent of those kids have parents or relatives that were floated. The only reason _we_ weren't floated is because we're too young." Melody explained, shaking her head sadly. "We can't just let everybody die, Monty. It's not right."

The boy seemed to process her words for a few moments. Slowly, a smile spread across Monty's face as he looked at her. He looked completely surprised, but almost in a good way. "You know, I can't figure you out Melody."

_That's the plan. _

"There isn't much to figure out." Replied Melody with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Yes there is." Monty argued, looking at her with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You're so…complex."

Melody had to laugh at that. _Her_? Complex? "I'm not that hard to figure out, Monty. Really. I'm cold and mean and _unapproachable._" Melody said, repeating that word he and Jasper had used.

"But you're not." Argued Monty, this time with a bit more emotion in his voice than before. "I thought you were. Maybe it seems that way because you close yourself off to most of us, but you aren't unapproachable, Melody. You're kind. And caring. And more thoughtful than the lot of those delinquents put together."

Melody didn't know whether she should feel complimented or scared. The fact that Monty was beginning to observe her more carefully made Melody feel a bit weary. She didn't like when people read too deep into her words and actions. If Melody had to pick between coming off as unapproachable or _thoughtful_, she would choose unapproachable. The thoughtful ones always seemed to be the first to go.

Luckily, Melody didn't have to confirm or deny Monty's analysis. Just then, Clarke came strolling into the top half of the dropship. In her hand was a small cup that was made from a hollowed-out tree branch.

"I've got the water. How is he?" Clarke asked, coming forward to look at Jasper once more. As always, Finn was on her heels.

"Well, he's still dying." Melody said drolly, looking between Clarke and Jasper's unmoving body. "And they're still egging him on." Mel nodded her head in the direction of the hatch that separated the two sections. "But other than that, everything is _fantastic._"

Clarke didn't comment on Melody's sarcastic tone. Instead she moved forward and began to once again change Jasper's bandages, which were really just strips of cloth. Jasper began to become more vocal as Clarke tended to his wound. His pain-filled sounds filled the dropship as she re-dressed the wound. More complaints came from below, but none of them paid very much attention.

"The grounders cauterized his wound." Clarke said suddenly, her voice filled with fascination as she looked at Jasper's chest, where the spear had struck him. The flesh there was red and puffy; the wound was closed. "They saved his life."

"They saved his life to string him up as live bait." Finn amended from where he stood on the other side of Jasper.

Clarke ignored the boy's comment and continued to tend to Jasper. After a moment she paused and frowned, leaning closer to look at his wound.

"What is it?" Melody was anxious as she drifted closer to Clarke.

"The wound is infected. He might be septic."

Melody might not speak doctor, but she knew what Clarke was getting at. Jasper's wound was infected and it might be poisoning his body. And the worst thing about it was that there was nothing they could do. Without the proper medication, Jasper would die.

"Any progress on using the wristbands to contact the Ark?"

Clarke's question was directed at Monty, who had been working on reversing the communication settings in the discarded wristbands. The boy didn't seem to hear anything he was saying. Monty's dark eyes were fixated upon Jasper's lifeless body as Clarke's words echoed in his ears. _Septic. _

"Monty?" Clarke prompted, her voice a bit more urgent.

Monty seemed to snap out of his daze. "That would be a firm _no_." He informed her, his voice laced with frustration.

"Don't worry, Monty." Melody said, offering the boy a reassuring smile. "You'll get it."

It was obvious that Monty was slowly losing hope. And honestly, so was Melody. He had been toying around with the wristbands for two solid days now. Every time the bands were taken off, the communication system died immediately. Monty had done his best to try and bring them back to life, but so far nothing seemed to be working.

Melody didn't realize that Wells had join them until he spoke. "How's he doing?"

"How does it look like he's doing, Wells?" Clarke snapped, the cool and calm side of her retreating and bringing out a side that Melody had never seen before.

"I'm just trying to help." Replied Wells, sounding as patient as ever. He'd been given the cold shoulder ever since they'd gotten on the ground. Melody was curious as to what caused Clarke's immense dislike of the Chancellor's son, but she knew better than to ask.

It was a few moments before anyone spoke. Another agonized groan from Jasper put Clarke into motion.

"Alright, you want to help?" She asked, turning to look at Wells expectantly. "Hold him down."

With Wells holding his legs and Finn holding his torso, Clarke began to cut into Jasper's body. Melody cringed, holding a hand against her mouth as she watched Jasper's blood slowly trickle from the wound. She wasn't sure what Clarke was doing, but Melody figured that it had to be something that would help Jasper in his struggle to survive.

Or so she thought, until Jasper began to wail. Melody could see only the whites of Jasper's eyes as he writhed on the table, obviously in immense pain. It took all of Melody's strength not to turn her head away from the awful sight. But she had to watch. It was Jasper who was on the table and Melody was determined to see this through.

"Hold him still!" Clarke ordered, turning to give Finn and Wells a sharp look. "I need to cut away the infected flesh."

Melody stood off to the side, watching intently. Her stomach was churning in protest, but Melody didn't look away. She feared that if she were to even blink, Jasper might die while she wasn't looking. And that was something she would not be able to live with.

"Stop it, you're killing him!" Octavia was suddenly there, kneeling by Jasper's side. She looked desperately at Clarke, who still wielded the knife.

"She's trying to save his life." Finn told Octavia calmly, as he continued to hold Jasper against the table.

_Yeah, so get out. _Melody's thoughts were bitter, but she couldn't stop them from forming. She didn't want Octavia here. Octavia was the reason Jasper was in this mess in the first place. He'd been trying to impress her by crossing the lake first; by showing that he was strong and brave. And it had gotten him an arrow in the heart.

Octavia was lucky Melody was an even-tempered girl…Okay, she was just lucky that there was a bed and an overprotective older brother separating the two of them. Melody knew that it would be satisfactory to lean over and throttle Octavia. She also knew that it would incur the wrath of Bellamy; that was something Melody could live without. But Bellamy Blake be damned, if Octavia hindered Jasper's recovery in any way she would be hearing from Melody.

"She can't save him." Speak of the devil, Bellamy was suddenly looming over the lot of them.

Wells stood up, probably hoping to intimidate Bellamy. It didn't work. Melody didn't think that Bellamy Blake _could_ be intimidated. He was overly-confident and obviously not above using brute force to get what he wanted. And Bellamy _always_ got what he wanted.

"We didn't drag him through miles of woods to let him die." Clarke argued, looking up at Bellamy with an annoyed, but concerned expression on her face.

"The kid's a goner." Countered Bellamy, looking at them all as if they were crazy. "If you can't see that, you're deluded. He's making people crazy."

"I'm sorry if Jasper is an inconvenience to you, but this isn't the Ark." Clarke snapped back, giving Bellamy a look that could kill. "Down here every life matters."

"Take a look at him. He's a lost cause." Said Bellamy slowly, causing them all to become silent.

They all took a moment to look at Jasper. It was apparent that Bellamy's words were beginning to wear on them all. Jasper looked so weak and lifeless. The chances of him pulling out of this were very slim; they all knew that. But they were going to do everything in their power to make sure that the odds were in his favor.

Melody would make sure of that.

"He's not a lost cause." Melody said firmly, standing up and glaring at Bellamy. Hatred burned somewhere deep inside of her every time she looked into those dark-brown eyes. "If Clarke says she can help him, she can. There's hope."

Bellamy looked annoyed by Melody's words. "This isn't about hope. This is about guts; you don't have the guts to make the hard choices. I do. He's been like this for three days. And if he isn't better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself."

He wouldn't. Melody wouldn't let him. She might stand alone, but she would stand in his way until her last breath left her body. And that was a promise.

Octavia chose to stay with them, despite Bellamy's order for her to follow after him. Melody was not the girl's biggest fan, but she did admire her determinedness.

"Power hungry, self-serving jackass." Monty remarked, watching as Bellamy retreated down the ladder. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

Melody was surprised to hear such words leave Monty's lips. He'd always been the quiet and docile one. It was good to know that he wasn't all sugar and spice; there was a fire burning somewhere deep inside of him. And Jasper was the only one that seemed able to provoke it.

"No offense." Monty tacked on, looking at Octavia.

The brunette simply shrugged one shoulder as if she knew that Monty was justified in saying those things about her brother. Octavia was the only one who saw the softer side of Bellamy. The rest of them couldn't even imagine that there _was_ another side.

"Yeah. Bellamy is all of those things." Finn said slowly, nodding his head. "But he also happens to be right."

All eyes snapped towards Finn. They wore similar expressions, all of which were clouded with disbelief and confusion. Melody stood up, looking at Finn with hard, cold eyes. She had been right not to fully trust him. He didn't care about Jasper's life any more than Bellamy's.

"You need to leave, Finn." Her tone was strong and firm. Melody would not sit around and listen to one more person talk about Jasper's life as if it were something to be ended out of _convenience. _

"I think I'd rather stay." Countered Finn, looking up at Melody with his own defensive look.

"She's right." Monty spoke, standing up to join Melody.

Finn looked between the two of them for a few moments before his gaze shifted towards Clarke. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead she made herself busy with examining Jasper's wound once more, although they all knew there was nothing more she could do.

Finn left. And Clarke wasn't very far behind him, claiming that she needed to examine the poultice in better lighting. She wanted to figure out what it was made of so she could possibly prepare another one…or so she said. Melody was half-convinced that she wanted to go soothe Finn's wounded ego.

Melody sighed loudly and moved to sit at Jasper's side once more. It was down to just the three of them now. Melody, Monty, and Octavia. They were united with their common goal; keeping Jasper alive. Melody didn't fully trust Octavia. It seemed that she didn't fully trust _anyone. _And for good reason, obviously.

"So what do we do now?" Octavia asked, looking between Monty and Melody. It was clear that she was the outsider here. Octavia understood why and wouldn't hold it against the two of them.

"Now we wait." Melody replied gravely, her eyes once more on the sporadic rising and falling of Jasper's chest.

And that's what they did.

|oOo|

"She doesn't like me, Monty."

The sound of Octavia's voice woke Melody, who had been happily drifting in and out of consciousness for the last few hours.

"It's not that, Octavia. She just doesn't know you." Monty replied quietly, shuffling around the room.

It was obvious that they were talking about Melody. The girl remained curled up on her side, trying to keep her breathing as even as possible. Pretending to be asleep in order to eavesdrop was something Melody had done a million times before. The situation had never been quite like this one, though.

"I don't think she wants me up here." Octavia continued, her voice soft and urgent, as if she was trying not to get too loud. As if she were trying not to wake Melody.

_Too late for that one. _

"She's just protective." Monty insists, his voice taking on a sharper edge. Now _he_ was the one sounding protective. "I think you guys could be friends, you know." Monty tacks on, his voice becoming gentler as he realizes his earlier lapse in self-control.

Octavia laughs, but it comes out as more of a scoff than anything. "I don't think so, Monty. Allies maybe. But I don't see us becoming friends."

_She's got that right._

"You're a lot alike." Monty continues, obviously not willing to take no for an answer. "You're tough and closed-off to the world, but underneath it all you're both pretty great."

Melody chose that moment to yawn as loudly as she could. Making a show of stretching, as if she had just woken up, Melody let out a few soft groans before stilling momentarily. And then she was sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pretending that she didn't hear that little conversation.

"Sleep well?" Octavia asked, smiling like she hadn't just been talking about Melody quite literally behind her back.

"Oh, wonderfully." Melody said, the smile she forced not meeting her eyes. It was hard for Melody to pretend when all she wanted to do was call Octavia and Monty out on their little gossip session. She knew that it would be for the best if she stayed quiet, though. It wasn't as if they were saying anything _bad_ about her.

"How is he?" Melody stood up to look at Jasper, who had long ago gone silent. That was what had caused her to fall asleep in the first place.

"Alive." Monty replied, shrugging one shoulder lazily. "Let's hope Clarke gets back soon, though."

"With that fog? I doubt it." Octavia commented, leaning back to rest her weight on her elbows.

"Fog?" Mel questioned, looking between the two of them with curious eyes. "What fog?"

Monty and Octavia exchanged a look. It shouldn't have made Melody angry, but it did. She hated being out of the loop.

"What fog?" Pressed Melody, raising her eyebrows slightly to enunciate her question. Their lack of an answer was both annoying and slightly frightening.

"It's this yellow cloud of fog." Octavia said, locking her eyes onto Melody's. "They noticed it rolling in and thought it looked dangerous. One kid decided that he would test it out and his skin practically melted off."

This was news to Melody. She must have slept through the entire thing, because she didn't recall waking up once. The few hours of sleep she had gotten last night were clearly not enough. Now, Melody felt guilty for having fallen asleep. A kid had died out there and she had slept right through it like a baby. Somehow that didn't seem quite fair.

"What about the others?" She asked anxiously, thinking about the ninety-four other kids that had survived the journey.

"Well, we all heard the kid screaming." Monty continued, frowning at the memory. "And everyone else kind of piled into the dropship."

"Clarke and Finn?" Melody asked, looking at them with anxious eyes. As an afterthought, she tacked on another name. "Bellamy?"

"None of them are here. We're hoping they found shelter somewhere else."

That was not what Melody had wanted to hear. The thought of Clarke out there absolutely terrified her. Not only had Clarke proven to be a trustworthy ally, but she was the only doctor they had. Finn and Bellamy…Melody may not be their biggest fans, but she didn't want either one of them dead. _Yet. _

The upper level was quickly becoming suffocating. Melody excused herself to go to the lower-level, which would be full of more people but less that actually mattered. Being around Monty and Octavia and Jasper's limp body was more than she could bear at the moment.

Melody wandered around the lower level for a bit. No one really talked to her, but she still walked around with a make-shift bottle of water in one hand and Jasper's goggles in the other. Hope was quickly fading as she looked at the goggles in her hand. How much longer did Jasper have before he just stopped breathing all together?

Melody had only ever cared for one other person; her mother. Back on the Ark, Melody and her mother were all each other had. Melody had always been fiercely protective and felt responsible for the older woman that had always been so dainty and frail. Mel had done her best to protect her mother, but her best wasn't always good enough. She had failed on more than one occasion…And now she was failing with Jasper. Failing to keep him safe as his body turned on him. And being defenseless was one of the worst feelings in the word, next to being afraid. She'd only ever felt crippling fear one other time. And that was the time when she'd sliced open a man's neck.

Melody was continuing to walk around the mostly-sleeping bodies when she heard the sounds coming from above. Jasper was awake again and his pain-filled groans echoed throughout the lower level of the dropship. Melody's heart ached for the poor boy as she wished she could do more for him.

But apparently not everyone's heart ached.

There were several complaints that went up around the room. Melody made it a point to remember the face of each and every person who complained. They were now on _the list._

The list wasn't a _real_ list, of course. It was more of a mental notepad of sorts, which contained the names all of the people that Melody either didn't trust of just didn't like. Bellamy's name was at the top of the list, since he fell underneath both categories. Shortly after his name was John Murphy, followed by several other people who would gladly see Jasper dead. Finn was on the verge of the list, but not quite.

Melody had hope for the spacewalker.

"That's it. I'm ending this."

The words caught Melody off guard. She turned just in time to see John Murphy rising from his hammock. Mel's eyes met Monty's from across the room and she could immediately see his panic flaring up. With a curt nod, Melody began to move towards Murphy. Her little signal was all it took for Monty to run for the ladder and begin to scurry up it, yelling to Octavia about Murphy's plans to kill Jasper.

Murphy had reached the top of the ladder just as Monty was closing the hatch. Melody watched as a slender leg lashed out once, twice, and a third time. Each kick landed accurately and Murphy was soon holding the side of his face.

"I'm gonna kill that kid! Let me in!" Murphy howled with outrage, trying to force the hatch open. Someone or something was holding it down.

Melody had never been one to think rationally when in situations like this. Not that she had _been _in many situations like this before. Before she could think better of it, Melody had crossed the room and gripped the back of Murphy's shirt. With one strong tug, she brought the boy down the ladder and sent him skidding across the floor.

Murphy's surprise had been the only thing that allowed Melody to pull him off of the ladder. And now, it was the only thing keeping him from killing her. Mel knew that the boy would soon recover, though. She slipped her hand into her back pocket and pulled out the make-shift knife that she had acquired the night before. It was a sharpened piece of metal with a handle; it was as deadly as weapons came on Earth.

Melody held the knife in front of her as she stared Murphy in the eyes. "You're not killing anyone." She said firmly.

"Oh yeah?" Murphy laughed as he looked at Melody, sizing her up for a moment before dismissing her as any real competition. "Who's going to stop me?"

"I am." Replied Melody boldly.

Murphy obviously was not afraid of her. He began to move forward, fully intent on doing some damage to her pretty little face. Melody lashed out with the knife, watching as Murphy jumped backwards, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"_I _am." Melody repeated, narrowing her own eyes in a glare.

Murphy looked at her for a few moments before replying. "You don't have the guts to kill me." He didn't sound as sure as he had before, which Melody gladly noted.

"Oh yeah? Try me." Mel said boldly, stepping forward.

When she took a step forward, Murphy took one back. There must have been something in Melody's eyes that showed she wasn't playing around with him. Two green orbs focused intently on Murphy, judging his every move.

"You won't kill me." He repeated, taking a step forward.

"I will. _Easily._" Melody knew that she would. If it came down to Murphy's life or Jasper's, Mel would gladly choose. "I wouldn't lose even an ounce of sleep."

Murphy's dark gaze met hers once more and Melody was glad to see the indecision in his eyes. If he really wanted to, Murphy could probably take her. Melody wasn't a big, tough girl like some of the others. To say she was petite would be an understatement. Melody looked like a strong wind could blow her over. And her strength? She hadn't lifted a weight in years. She hadn't lifted anything in years. She was weak. Fragile. Years of being locked up in a cell tended to have that effect on a person.

"You don't want to know what happened to the last person that made me angry." Murphy had decided to start threatening her, but the words held no value to Melody.

"And _you_ don't want to know what happened to the last person who made _me_ angry." Melody practically snarled the words through a set of clenched teeth. "You're not the first person to be at the mercy of my blade, John Murphy."

Melody had probably revealed too much, but she was far too worked up to care about what she was saying. A crowd had formed now and they were eager for a fight. It was disgusting really, but Melody would be more than happy to give them what they wanted.

Murphy lunged for her then. Rather than backing up, Melody stepped forward to meet him. Fear had the oddest effect on her; it seemed to wake her up. Every one of her senses was fully alert. And while she may not have been strong, Melody was quick.

So quick in fact that Murphy didn't even see her knife before it embedded itself in his leg.

"_Melody_!" Monty's frantic voice could be heard from up above.

Melody twisted the knife sharply before pulling it out of Murphy's leg. He shouted as he stumbled backwards, no longer able to hold himself up. Melody wasted no time in running for the ladder. Being small meant she was quick, and being quick had saved her life. They were just slamming the hatch down once more when Murphy reached it. This time, they shoved a metal bar through the handle, which kept the hatch closed.

Melody collapsed, taking Monty down with her. As she lay her head against his chest, Mel could hear the frantic beat of the boy's heart. Her own was pumping wildly. Melody's eyes closed briefly, ignoring the obscenities and threats being shouted from the lower level. Only one thing really mattered.

They were safe…_for now._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It was dark before Clarke returned to camp, medicine in hand.

Melody and Octavia heard the shouts from outside as people welcomed them back. The two girls rushed out of the dropship to greet her, leaving Jasper in Monty's capable hands. After Melody's altercation with Murphy earlier in the day no one had dared to even _complain_ about Jasper. The chance of someone trying to put him out of his misery was slim.

The three of them had spent the entire day locked up in the upper level of the dropship. It seemed like hours before Murphy stopped trying to force his way through the hatch. As soon as the fog had cleared he'd left the dropship, probably to sulk and tend to his injured leg. Things had been peaceful since then, but Melody doubted she'd make it through the night. Not when Murphy told Bellamy what had gone down between the two of them.

Murphy was out for blood; Melody's blood.

"It's about time! They were going to kill Jasper. Did you get the medicine?" Asked Octavia.

"Yeah, I got it." Clarke replied, her voice sounding strange. "Come on, let's go talk." Urged the blonde girl, wrapping one arm around Octavia as she tried to usher her inside.

It was then that Melody realized something was wrong.

Octavia brushed by Clarke, heading towards where Bellamy stood near the entrance to the camp. Melody could see the outline of whatever Bellamy had dragged behind him on a make-shift cot. It only took a few moments for her to realize it was a body. And judging by Clarke's reaction, it was the body of someone Octavia had known.

"Octavia, just stay there please." Bellamy pleaded, trying to keep Octavia at bay. "Just stay back."

Of course, Octavia was having none of it. She continued forward to kneel beside the body. Melody watched from a few feet away, her stomach in knots at the thought of what Octavia might find beneath the jacket that was covering the dead kid. The horrified expression on Octavia's face as she lifted the material away was enough to cause Melody to step forward, out of instinct. It was always her first instinct to help those who needed it. _Especially_ her friends…or allies, as Octavia liked to say.

Bellamy immediately tried to explain to Octavia that there was nothing he could do to save the boy. Melody recognized him now; _Atom. _One of Bellamy's right-hand men. It was obvious then that Octavia had somehow been involved with the boy.

"_Don't._" Octavia raised one hand and glared at Bellamy as she spoke.

It was heart wrenching to watch as Octavia slowly bent down to cover Atom's body once more. There was no mistaking the wetness that had begun to form in the girl's eyes. She was hurting and angry as she sat there, looking down at Atom as if she didn't quite know what to do.

Melody was across the camp in a moment, putting both hands on Octavia's shoulders in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort. "Octavia, you should go help with Jasper." Instructed Melody, using her soothing yet authoritative voice that she reserved for times such as this.

Octavia nodded her head at Melody's words. She stood up and angrily made her way around Bellamy, who Melody suspected Octavia blamed for Atom's death. Melody went to follow after her, intent on reaching Jasper and seeing how the medicine affected him. Before she even made it ten steps, a strong hand wrapped around her wrist and spun Melody back around.

Murphy's voice was little more than an angry hiss as he presented her to Bellamy. "We've got a problem."

Bellamy looked between the two of them wearily, as if he didn't really want to deal with them at the moment. He _never_ wanted to deal with Melody, but she seemed to be causing quite a bit of trouble. "And what's that?"

Melody tried to pull her arm free of Murphy's grasp, but he just sunk his nails into her arm. Melody resisted the urge to cry out in pain. Instead, she clenched her jaw and stopped struggling as she stood before Bellamy.

"She managed to get her hands on a knife." Murphy said angrily, giving Melody's arm a rough shake in the process. "She tried to _kill me._"

There was a mixture of emotions that flitted across Bellamy Blake's face. First he seemed surprised, as if he couldn't possibly imagine Melody had what it took to stand up to Murphy. And then, he seemed to be amused.

"She tried to kill you." Repeated Bellamy.

"Yes." Murphy said angrily, his grip tightening to the point that Melody actually cried out.

Bellamy's eyes darkened as they flickered towards Murphy's strong grasp on her arm. "Let her go." A few seconds passed as they all stared at him, slack-jawed. And then, he spoke again. "_Now._"

His demand surprised Melody. But it surprised Murphy even more.

"What?" The boy practically snarled the word, glaring at Melody with enough hatred that if looks could kill, she'd be six feet under. "Bellamy, she tried to _kill_ me."

"I said," Bellamy's voice was louder now. "Let. Her. _Go._" Long fingers wrapped around her shoulder and then Melody was stumbling in Bellamy's direction. In his surprise, Murphy had simply let go of her arm and had allowed Bellamy to take her.

"You're going to let this go unpunished?" Asked Murphy, disbelief apparent in his voice.

Bellamy shot Murphy an irritated look. "Of course not." His dark gaze then turned towards Melody, who was now standing by his side. "Did you try to kill him, sweetheart?"

"No." Melody said immediately, shaking her head. "I didn't _try_ to do anything. I stabbed him in the leg, just like I had intended."

Something new flickered across Bellamy's expression. For a moment Melody thought that it might be along the lines of admiration. Not many people could get the jump on John Murphy. And she was one of the few who had.

"I nearly bled out." Murphy exaggerated, glaring at her. His eyes were deep and dark and full of promise; a promise to get revenge. "She needs to be punished."

"Melody wouldn't have just stabbed you for no reason, Murphy." Bellamy said, defending Melody for the first time ever. And it would probably be the last time, too.

Bellamy's statement obviously appalled Murphy. He looked between the two of them with narrowed eyes, a look of confusion on his face. "You're honestly taking her side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just saying that if she stabbed you, you must have done a helluva job pissing her off." Bellamy said, the corner of his lips lifting upwards into the ghost of a smile.

"This isn't funny." Murphy snapped, looking like he wanted to kill both of them.

"Do you want to know what's not funny?" Bellamy asked, his tone suddenly hardening. Any sign of playfulness had left his face. "The fact that I trusted you to look after these people and you let some little girl get the best of you."

_Little girl? I'll show you who's a little girl. _

Melody was furious. The fact that Bellamy and Murphy were talking about her as if she wasn't even there made her want to scream in frustration. And being called a little girl didn't exactly stoke her ego. Mel knew that she didn't look like very much on the outside. But hadn't she proven herself today?

"It's not my fault." Murphy was immediately defensive. Bellamy's words had rubbed him the wrong way, too. "All I wanted to do was shut that kid up."

"Jasper?" Bellamy asked, looking at Melody.

Mel nodded her head in confirmation. She didn't trust herself to speak without snapping at him.

"He's still breathing." Murphy informed Bellamy, somehow slipping back into the role of right-hand man. "I tried to take him out, but Melody and your psycho little sister-"

Murphy stumbled backwards as Bellamy shoved him, forcing the boy to stop mid-sentence. There was a fire in Bellamy's eyes that Melody had never seen before. A fire that could only be started by someone speaking ill about Octavia.

"My what?" Bellamy shouted, grabbing Murphy by the collar of his shirt. "My _what_?" He demanded, shaking the boy a few times in the same way Murphy had previously been shaking Melody.

Throughout all of this Murphy remained looking as collected as ever. When Bellamy finished shouting, Murphy calmly spoke. "Your little sister." He then shoved Bellamy away from him with one hand, never allowing his gaze to waver.

"Yeah, that's right." Replied Bellamy. "My little sister."

The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. Neither one seemed willing to back off first. Melody stood by, silently hoping that they might tear each other to shreds.

_It would sure ease my mind. _

Realizing that her thoughts weren't exactly fair given how Bellamy had defended her, Melody quickly took them back. Oh, she hadn't forgiven Bellamy Blake; not even _close._ She simply understood that he'd had her back for a moment there. And she wouldn't forget it so easily.

The little show down did end eventually, with Murphy apologizing reluctantly. Bellamy didn't accept the apology or even acknowledge it. He simply ordered someone to take care of Atom's body before he turned around and began to move in the general direction of his tent.

After a few seconds, Bellamy turned back around and pointed at Melody. "You." He said slowly, his voice sounding angry and demanding. "Follow me."

Melody stood her ground firmly. "I need to help with Jasper."

That was a lie. She probably wouldn't be much help to Clarke unless she was running errands for her. But Melody would gladly do that instead of going into Bellamy's tent where only God knew what would happen. Bellamy didn't like it when he couldn't control people. And by pulling that stunt with Murphy, she had proven that she refused to be controlled.

"Clarke can manage."

"She might need some more water."

"I've got people supplying whatever she needs."

"Jasper might wake up."

"Not likely."

"Monty might-"

"_Damn it,_ Melody!" Bellamy hissed, closing the distance between the two of them in just a few long strides. There were many watchful eyes that were observing how Melody just carelessly defied Bellamy. He couldn't let people start to think that they could just do whatever the hell they wanted. "I said follow me."

Although Melody was not afraid of Bellamy Blake directly, she was afraid of his influence. It didn't matter much who liked her down here. Melody didn't need friends, but she did need _allies._ These were his people and crossing Bellamy Blake would ensure that she stood alone. Always.

"Fine." Melody grumbled to herself as she followed Bellamy towards his tent.

It was no surprise that Bellamy's tent was the biggest and best one out of the bunch. He was, after all, the leader of their rag-tag group. The tent was rather spacious and sturdy compared to most of the others. Bellamy even had a bed while most of the others were sleeping on blankets.

_Who's the privileged now? _

Melody walked into the tent, immediately irritated with Bellamy. Irritated at him for dragging her away from Jasper and irritated at him for everything he said during the little spat with Murphy. Melody didn't want him to stick up for her. She didn't want to owe Bellamy Blake _anything._

"You can't just stab people, sweetheart." Bellamy's lecture had begun before the door was even closed behind them.

"Why not?" Asked Melody.

She was currently finding it difficult to keep hold of her temper. Bellamy was a hypocrite. He would have gladly stabbed Jasper if given the chance. He'd _planned on_ stabbing Jasper the following day. How was that any different from what Melody had done?

"Because that's how you make enemies." Warned Bellamy, his voice sounding very ominous. "And trust me, you don't want any enemies here."

"I'm not here to make friends _or_ enemies, Bellamy." Melody informed him. "I'm here to prove that Earth is habitable. Or at least I _was_."

Melody's fingertips brushed against the spot where her wristband had been just the day before. The area was still a bit sore and there were puncture marks where the spikes had pierced her skin.

"No, Melody. You're here to _live._ And if you don't play your cards right, you're not going to make it down here."

"Why not? Are you going to kill me, Bellamy?" Melody asked, her voice somewhat taunting.

"Not me, sweetheart. _Them._" Bellamy said, sweeping his arm out as if to gesture to the entire camp. "The people get what they want. It's always been that way. And I have to deliver. They want Jasper dead; _I _have to be the one to kill him if he doesn't recover."

Melody wasn't convinced. "You don't _have_ to do anything, Bellamy! You have a mind of your own." She reminded him, wondering if everyone down here had forgotten that little fact.

"That's where you're wrong, Melody." Bellamy said, slowly shaking his head at her. "I have to do a lot of things. I _have_ to provide for these people. I _have _to try and keep peace between everyone. I _have _to decide what's best in the long run. I have to _lead _them."

Melody had never taken Bellamy's side of things into consideration. She supposed that he did have to do all of those things; but it was his own fault. Bellamy was the one who had stepped up and announced himself the leader on this strange planet. If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

"I can't always protect you like I did tonight." Bellamy said quietly, still angry but his tone had lost most of its edge.

"I never asked you to!" Melody was shouting now, no longer able to control her flaring temper. His sudden desire to protect her was infuriating. "I can handle myself Bellamy."

"No you can't. You don't stand a chance against Murphy on your best day. You're small Melody; weak."

The words did nothing to calm Melody down.

"I think I did rather well today. Don't you?" Demanded Melody as she glared up at him with her cold, green eyes. "Or should we ask Murphy how his leg is feeling?"

"Damn it, Melody." Bellamy snapped, quickly losing his patience.

That made two of them.

"Don't you get it? These guys are _criminals. _They were in prison for a reason." Bellamy pressed, acting as if he had her best interests at heart.

But Melody knew the truth. He didn't want to look weak in front of the rest of them. He wanted her to be afraid of these guys so there would be no reason for Murphy or anyone to question his authority again. But Melody wasn't the kind of girl to sit by and watch as people were wronged in front of her. She was the kind of girl who took action.

"So was I." Melody reminded him, forcing herself to lower her voice. She was attempting to sound tough and mysterious, but it wasn't really working out.

It didn't seem possible that Bellamy was looking out for her. Up until now they had been at each other's throats. Everything she did seemed to piss him off. And everything he did _definitely _pissed her off. Could Bellamy Blake possibly be trying to bury the hatchet? After all, he had been nothing but good to her since he'd gotten back. He had even pulled her away from Murphy and his murderous tendencies.

For a moment Melody backpedaled and thought that maybe Bellamy was being sincere. Maybe he truly did want to look out for the poor little girl that reminded him so much of someone else that he knew.

And then something seemed to shift.

His eyes darkened evilly and a smug smile found its way onto his face. The look he was giving her caused Melody to scowl and take a step back. The boy that had stood in front of her, the one who had almost seemed human in his attempts to protect her, was gone. In his place was the Bellamy that Melody knew all too well. The snarky, arrogant boy that knew how to get exactly what he wanted.

"Oh, I know, Melody." Bellamy said, his voice quiet and sinister. "I know _exactly _why you were thrown into the Sky Box."

|oOo|

It was like she couldn't breathe.

Melody felt as if she were drowning with no hope of ever reaching the surface. She drew in ragged lungfuls of air, but that didn't seem to ease the fire that was quickly building in her chest. There was a tightness there that caused Melody physical pain. She placed her palm against her heart in an attempt to calm its sporadic beating.

_This can't be happening. _

Melody had no idea how Bellamy could have gotten the knowledge of her crimes against the Ark. She hadn't told a soul what she'd done to get admitted to the Sky Box. The only people to have access to those records were council members, guardsmen, and the Chancellor himself. Unless he was there that day…

No. No one had been there. Melody remembered the day as clearly as if it had been yesterday.

_The door to the examination room slowly slid open as the doctor entered, clipboard in hand. _

"_Melody. So good to see you." Doctor Jason Evans had greeted her as normally as any other day, with an all-too wide smile and a gentle hand on her shoulder. _

"_Good afternoon, Doctor." Melody had replied, her tone a little less than friendly. "I trust you're doing well."_

_Melody had always been a peculiar thirteen year old. She was much more mature than the other children her age. Having been raised only by her intelligent and well-mannered mother had turned Melody almost into her carbon copy. Most people found it adorable and endearing that she acted like a miniature adult. Melody found it to be normal; it was all she had ever known. _

"_Very well. Are you ill, Melody?" The doctor's tone had gone from good-natured to full of concern in a matter of moments. _

_His hand reached for her then, and Melody forced herself not to cringe away from the touch that was far too personal for her liking. She felt his hand run through her hair, parting the reddish-orange strands and twirling them around in his fingers. _

"_I'm not ill." Melody had replied, leaning out of his reach. "It's my mother." _

_The doctor no longer looked as concerned, which irritated Melody. For as long as she could remember the Good Doctor had been slipping into their quarters in the evening and leaving before the sun rose the next day. He and her mother had been involved in a relationship that Melody knew little about. What she saw with her own two eyes was very different from what had happened behind closed doors. _

"_Oh. What does your mother need?" The doctor wondered, sounding slightly impatient now. "More sleeping pills? Extra food rations? I told her we'd have to be careful now. I cannot keep indulging her in such things." _

_Melody's irritation only continued to grow with each word that the doctor spoke. He'd provided her and her mother with so much over the years that they had grown to depend on him. Alone they could not provide for themselves. That was why he'd been allowed into their lives in the first place. _

_And now, Melody was intent on cutting him out._

"_She says she no longer needs your food rations or sleeping pills. I'm old enough to work in the factory now." Melody said boldly, swinging her small legs that didn't quite reach the floor back and forth. "Mother says I can pay for my own rations and sleep no longer troubles her." _

_The words were a lie. Melody's mother hadn't told her to tell the doctor anything of the sort. In fact, Melody's mother was currently at home sleeping off the previous over-night shift in the factor. It had been her own idea to come down and settle things with the doctor that had for so long made her mother miserable. Of course her mother had never said anything about not wanting the doctor in their lives. But she hadn't needed to. _

_Melody saw the bruises. She noticed the way her mother flinched at the smallest of things, such as a door closing too loudly or a book falling off of a shelf. Melody's mother had never been strong. She'd always been weak; submissive, even. She'd allowed the doctor to rule their lives for too long and Melody was beginning to catch on now. _

_And she felt that it was her duty to change things. After all, she'd failed to protect her mother form this sinister man for so many years. She wouldn't let even one more day go by without standing up for the only person she had ever truly loved._

_To Melody's surprise the doctor looked angry after she had spoken. She'd expected him to be relieved. He no longer had to take care of them as he had been doing for the last few years. He didn't have to risk his job and his life to sneak them the extra little things that they'd required over the years to survive. _

"_She thinks she can just get rid of me?" Doctor Evans practically snarled the words as he grabbed Melody by the shoulder. The look in his eyes terrified Melody, who up until this point had never been involved in any sort of confrontation. _

"_I-I don't know." Stammered the small girl, looking up at the male with wide eyes. _

"_Well I'll show her. I'll show the both of you. I've done an awful lot for you, Melody Pond. An awful lot." He said again, to emphasize his words. "And I think it's about time I get something in return. _

_Melody was confused. She didn't have anything to offer the doctor. So, she tried to reason with him. "I don't have anything. Mother just told me to-" _

_Her head roughly snapped to one side then, causing a sickening crack to echo throughout the room. There was a sharp ringing noise resonating in the small space; or perhaps it was in her ears. It took Melody a few moments to realize that the Doctor had slapped her. _

_The young girl pressed one hand to her cheek which was quickly growing warm as it throbbed beneath her tentative fingers. To say that she was surprised would be an understatement. Melody was surprised, but most of all she was afraid, very afraid, and disgusted._

_What kind of man preyed on children? _

_Melody never got her answer. _

_All she got in return to her silent question was the sound of his belt falling to the floor. _

_And she was were never the same after that. _

"Melody?"

A hand on Melody's shoulder caused her to lash out blindly. She was still lost in a dream-like state as she recalled memories that she had forced herself to bury many years ago.

The sound of skin-on-skin contact made her look up with wide eyes. Mel could see the red mark already beginning to form on Bellamy's face. He'd grabbed her wrist with one hand and now held it, suspended in mid-air.

Bellamy looked furious and Melody took a step backwards. This obviously surprised Bellamy; Melody had _never_ backed away from confrontation. She'd always seemed to embrace it. That was something that he had always admired about her, although he would never admit it out loud. The girl in front of him was anything but admirable; she was almost a puddle at his feet.

Something resembling concern flickered in his eyes for a moment before Bellamy let go of Melody's wrist and stepped backwards.

Melody's voice was hoarse when she spoke. "How did you find out?" There was an urgency present in her tone; she sounded desperate.

"I was training to be a guard back then. There was news about some kid that had killed a doctor in cold blood. A little girl that was only thirteen years old…Her name was Melody. Melody Pond." Bellamy explained, crossing his arms over his chest almost defensively. As if _he_ was the one who should be defensive. "You talked about being sent to the Sky Box when you were young. You said you hadn't talked to another human being in years. You're always the first one ready to stand up and fight, even if the odds are stacked against you, because you _know_ you can handle yourself. You've done it before and you can do it again."

Bellamy's assessment of her made Melody's blood run cold. Bellamy Blake was the _last_ person that she wanted to know about her deep, dark secret. Melody suddenly felt like she had when she was a child; weak, defenseless, and terrified. The tough outer shell that she had built up over the last few years was slowly crumbling into dust.

"Bellamy…" Melody trailed off, not knowing what to say. Every instinct told her to get on her knees and beg him not to tell anyone. But Melody was not the begging type. She never had been and never would be.

"I won't tell anyone, Melody." Bellamy said suddenly, surprising her. "We all have our secrets, don't we?" An odd smirk made its way onto his face, as if he understood her urgency to keep this between the two of them, and Melody wondered for a moment what Bellamy was hiding.

"Yes." Agreed Melody with a curt nod as relief flooded through her. Bellamy may be a lot of things, but Melody didn't think he was a liar. "We do. And I'd like for my skeletons to stay in the closet. After all, I've been pardoned, right?"

Bellamy smiled at Melody's comment, which was full of anger and held a hint of sarcasm. She was beginning to sound a bit like her old self again. For a few moments she had scared him, which was not an easy thing to do. Melody was a pain in his ass, but Bellamy respected her. Seeing her so vulnerable had unsettled him in ways he didn't know to be possible. Just as Melody was certain he had a deep dark secret, Bellamy was certain that her story had more to it than she let on.

"Right. Pardoned." Bellamy agreed, nodding his head and looking at her once more. It was a relief to see that she had managed to compose herself once more. "Now run along and check on goggle boy."

Melody was eager to do just that. The fact that she had let her guard down like that around Bellamy was mortifying. He'd nearly seen her fall apart at the seams as those horrid memories assaulted her mind. Luckily, Melody had managed to pick herself back up again before she'd been reduced to the frightened, sniveling little girl that she had been so many years ago.

She all but ran to the dropship. It had been nearly half an hour since Clarke had returned with the medicine. Melody knew that by now she would have brewed the tea that could potentially save Jasper's life. While they'd been busy helping Jasper, she'd been trapped in her own personal hell; her mind.

Mel climbed the ladder with an urgency to forget the event that had just taken place in Bellamy's tent. She wanted nothing more than to bury those memories away again and lock them up, just as she had managed to do before. But Melody knew that it would never happen. Tonight her dreams would be nightmares. The face of Doctor Evans would haunt her dreams for the first time in years.

_You wouldn't be worth the guilt. _

Melody recalled saying those words to Bellamy when they'd been fighting a few days earlier. He had probably brushed them off as meaningless, but they held a lot of meaning for Melody. The guilt never really went away. She had managed to stop thinking about the night she'd killed Jason Evans, but it was always lingering in the background.

And Bellamy had brought it to light.

"There she is." Monty's friendly voice was warm and welcoming as Melody entered the upper level of the dropship. "Clarke just made the tea."

Melody looked around the room that was filled with people she cared about. They all looked at her with wide smiles, eager to tell her about Jasper's progress. There wasn't much progress of course, but nevertheless they filled her in with every little detail. They cared enough to keep her informed. They cared enough to make her feel like a part of every little step towards Jasper's recovery; the bottom line was, they cared about _her._

Bonds formed quickly on Earth. Everyone was beginning to realize that this was it; they were all each other had. Melody had realized this herself just before joining her friends in the dropship. She had to let go of her grudges and move on; there was no time to be petty.

"I hear you stabbed Murphy in the leg." Finn says, grinning at Melody with just a hint of pride. Melody returned the smile and shrugged one shoulder in response.

The memory of what she had done to Murphy made her think of the conversation she'd just had with Bellamy. His warnings and his revelations…None of which sat well with her.

"She totally kicked ass." Monty said, smiling as he moved forward to wrap one arm around Melody's shoulder. "She's the reason Jasper's alive right now."

The words caused Melody to pause.

She looked down at the boy who was already beginning to regain a bit of his color. The tea wasn't working quickly, but it was working. Had Melody not been there to stop Murphy, Jasper may not have made it long enough to stand a chance at fighting whatever was slowly taking over his body. _She _was the reason he was still fighting. _She _was the reason Jasper would live another day. This should have made her happy.

"You did a good job, Melody." Clarke praised her, offering one of her small, pleasant smiles. "You saved his life."

The words were meant to make Melody feel good, but all they did was make her feel even worse than before. The one thing about your past is that you can never escape it; Melody was no exception to the rule.

And while they cheered her on for saving a life, Melody couldn't help but wonder how they would react if they knew she had ended one just as easily.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

They discovered that Melody had an infectious laugh.

When she had first openly laughed at some half-assed joke from Finn, everyone had kind of grown quiet. But Melody hadn't even noticed. What had started out as a small string of giggles had soon turned into full-blown howling. Mel couldn't even remember the last time she'd openly laughed without having to force it. And now that the laughter had started, she was finding it hard to stop. The joke hadn't been that funny; it hadn't even been _clever._ But it didn't stop Melody from laughing until her sides ached and tears streamed down her face. And soon they were all joining in, unable to feel anything other than amazement at how much Melody had changed in just a matter of hours.

When they did finally manage to sober up, they were all wearing matching grins. Even Melody who, up until this moment, hadn't even known it was _possible_ to be this happy. Once she had made the decision to let these people into her life whole-heartedly, everything had changed. Melody no longer felt like it was her against the world. For the first time ever, she had friends. People that were there for her simply because they cared. People that asked how she was doing and actually wanted an answer. People that accepted her for _her_. It was a strange concept, but it was one that Melody was quickly coming to accept.

Octavia, Monty, Melody, and Finn were sitting in a semi-circle on one side of the upper level, letting Jasper rest as the medicinal tea worked its way through his body. Finn had brought back a flask that he'd found in some abandoned car and it was being shared amongst the four of them. After much debate Melody, the most sheltered of them all, got the privilege of the first taste. She was, after all, an alcohol virgin.

The potent liquid burned through Melody like fire, leaving an enjoyable warmth in its wake. Coughing and sputtering, Melody buried her face in the crook of her elbow as her first taste of alcohol was forever burned into her mind; and her throat. "Holy shit." She didn't like the taste of the whiskey or the burning sensation, but she found it fun to indulge in something "forbidden" for once in her life.

The drink was then passed on to the next person. Monty brought the bottle to his lips, taking a hearty drink that ended in a grimace. "Smooth." He commented, passing the bottle to Octavia.

She seemed more hesitant than Melody would have expected her to be. After a few solid moments of pause, Octavia gave in and she too brought the bottle too her lips. The look on her face made Melody giggle quietly. "Disgusting…love it." Octavia said shortly before handing the bottle back to Finn.

Finn took the bottle back with a smile. Just when he was bringing it to his lips, a new sound made them all pause. A new voice_._

_Jasper's_ voice.

"Can I, uh…get a hit of that?"

And then, they were all rushing to his side. Melody practically tripped over her own two feet in an attempt to reach him. Even though she was quick, someone was quicker.

"Jasper!" Monty had leapt onto the make-shift bed and was leaning over Jasper by the time the rest of them got there. The look on his face made Melody want to burst into sobs; he was just so _relieved_. And eager. The friendship between the two boys made her both happy and envious.

Finn gently cupped the back of Jasper's head and let him drink, but not from the bottle. Water was all the boy was allowed seeing as how he had narrowly escaped death.

"Welcome back, buddy." Finn said with a grin as he looked down at Jasper. The boy gave him a weak smile in return.

Monty reached out and clasped Jasper's hands, giving him a half-assed high-five. Melody suspected that Monty was just looking for some physical contact judging by the way he gripped Jasper's hands tightly for a few moments. It was one thing to hear him and see him, but to _feel_ him made it real. Monty broke out into a grin.

And then, Melody couldn't contain herself anymore.

With a quiet sob, she threw her arms around Jasper as gently as possible and clung to him without putting too much pressure on his wound. For the first time the seriousness of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. Hearing Jasper's voice and watching him smile had caused her to come un-done. What if she had never heard that beautiful voice again? The thought seemed almost unbearable now.

"Hi, Mellie." Jasper whispered quietly, lifting one arm to wrap it around her shoulders. Melody knew that it must have been painful for him to move, for him to be holding onto her, but he didn't complain once.

"I thought you were dead." Melody whispered, her voice ragged as she pulled back to look down at his face. Oh, that _beautiful_ face. Color was beginning to seep back into his skin and for the first time in days Jasper looked like a person rather than a corpse.

"So did I." Came his shaky response. "Was that a dream or did I get speared?" Asked Jasper, a good-natured smile on his face as he looked around the small group.

"You'll have a very impressive scar to prove it." Said Clarke as she climbed the last few rungs of the ladder and joined them by Jasper's bedside.

"My savior." Jasper said in a sing-song voice. A real grin lit up his face then as he looked at Clarke who was very much the reason he had survived. She'd nursed him back to health from the brink of death and Jasper would not forget that.

"Thank you for not dying. I don't think I could have taken that today." Clarke admitted with a shaky laugh.

"I'll try not to die tomorrow, too, if that's cool." Replied Jasper, causing them all too laugh softly. Even in such a grave situation he didn't fail to make them all feel a hundred times better.

It was then that Octavia reached out to him, gently placing one hand on his arm. Jasper turned his head then, noticing her for the first time. Another grin broke out on his face as he got that mischievous look in his eyes. "Oh, _hello_."

And for then, things were alright.

|oOo|

Bad news always seemed to follow the good. That was proven when not even a few days after Jasper escaped death, someone else succumbed to it.

Clarke found Wells' lifeless body at his post just after dawn only two days after Jasper had woken up. Wells had been on watch that night, so no one had really noticed his absence from the camp. It wasn't until the next morning when they still hadn't seen him that Clarke began to worry; and she worried alone. Wells was not the kind of guy that could easily blend into the background because he was the kind of guy that _always_ had something to say. He was the know-it-all type that acted as if he were superior to everyone around him. That was why most people didn't look for him. And it was why even more didn't truly mourn him.

Melody mourned him, though. Not because she had liked Wells, because she really hadn't. She and Bellamy had the same opinion on the boy. Wells had come down to Earth and had tried to run things, and that was his first mistake. Being the chancellor's son had made him an unspoken target, but by pulling his holier-than-thou act he had sealed his fate. Melody mourned him because while she didn't like Wells she didn't _dislike _him either. The boy hadn't done anything to cross Melody and even if he had, he was still a human being. And he, like everybody else, deserved to be remembered.

And he would be remembered by her always; remembered as the boy who had saved Jasper's life with his knowledge of botany and Earth Skills.

Life went on in the aftermath of Wells' death. Even those who had felt bad about Wells' death went on with their business as usual. There was nothing they could do for the boy now. He was dead and they were still in the middle of a war with the grounders. The most anyone did was dig him a grave, as Wells' had done for several others.

Melody spent her days alternating between the upper level of the dropship and the lower level. Jasper was still on the mend, but he was quickly regaining his strength. Just a few hours after he'd woken up, Jasper was sitting up and cracking jokes as if he'd never been injured in the first place. That didn't stop Melody, Monty, and Octavia from watching after him in shifts. After the stunt with Murphy, none of them dared to leave Jasper unprotected. John Murphy didn't seem like the type to forgive and forget.

Monty was still as busy as ever as he tampered with the wristbands and attempted to bring them back to life. He'd been unsuccessful for the longest time. All of the wristbands he got his hands on had already been dead for far too long to be of any use. He'd tried to use a fresh one, Octavia's, but it had immediately lost all connection to the Ark upon removal. The boy was quickly becoming frustrated, but Melody continued to remind him that he just had to keep trying.

Hope was all they had left these days.

Currently he was sitting on the floor in the lower level, making himself busy while working on Clarke's wristband. The girl had willingly offered it up, despite her earlier ferocity whenever someone suggested removing it. Melody suspected she had ulterior motives. But who was she to suggest so?

The hatch to the upper level was open, as it often was when they were all in the dropship. The ship was primarily used as an infirmary, so they pretty much had it all to themselves unless someone was badly injured. Everyone else spent their time either hunting, building the wall that surrounded camp, or making themselves busy with simple tasks. They were beginning to fall into an easy routine as they all worked hard to cohabitate with one another. The fighting was at an all-time low and Melody was rather impressed with the bunch of delinquents who had managed to band together for the greater good.

Melody and her little group had kind of distanced themselves from the others simply because they all had different ideas of what they should be doing. Melody saw the two groups as _us_; her and her friends, and _them_: the rest of the world. They were two entities working as one in order to survive. Bellamy's group was working hard to survive in the now, and Melody's group was working hard to survive in the long run. Which meant trying to communicate with the Ark, rationing supplies, and doing a whole bunch of other stuff that no one else seemed concerned with.

"You're frowning again."

Jasper's voice startled Melody out of her little trance. Their gazes' clashed -steely green meeting warm brown- and remained locked for a few moments. It was becoming increasingly easier for Melody to let others in, but it was still a lot of work. She'd only been willing to "open up" for a few days now, and she was still trying to find the balance between sharing and _over-_sharing her thoughts. It didn't help any that her first instinct was to immediately push everyone away and deal with her problems alone.

Eventually, she gave into Jasper's probing stare and voiced her troubles.

"I'm worried that we won't be able to survive the winter." Admitted Melody, surprised to feel some of the tension leave her body once her thoughts were out there. "We've learned to hunt and gather, but what about the snow? The freezing temperatures? Without the Ark's help, we might not make it through this."

"Hey, calm down." Jasper advised softly, giving her his most hopeful smile. "Monty will get in touch with the Ark. And even if he can't, which he _can_, we'll manage. We are _Apache." _

Those three little words never failed to bring a smile to Melody's face. The symbolic meaning of those words ran deeper than anything Melody had ever heard. They had left an impact on her that would never go away. _We are Apache. _It was like a beacon of hope that reminded her that they could get through anything Earth happened to throw at them.

"You're right." Melody agreed, her tone soft and thoughtful. "We've got each other to lean on now. That's all we need." She reached out and grabbed Jasper's hand, wrapping her slender fingers around his much larger ones.

They were survivors. Melody was sure of this, if not anything else. Ark or no, they were going to make it down here. Melody was caught somewhere between being a realist and an optimist; but at least she was no longer a pessimist. Jasper had been the one to nip that habit in the bud. He was constantly reminding Melody about the good fortune they'd had down on Earth and insisting that things would only get better. Jasper Jordan –previously known as _grounder bait_- of all people was reassuring her that they had it good. If he could still have hope then so could Melody.

As if to prove Jasper's point about things only getting better, Monty's voice soon called out excitedly. "I did it. It's still operational!"

Melody and Jasper exchanged wide, knowing grins. Melody had found that they didn't always need words to communicate; simple glances and soft smiles were almost always enough to convey messages. Like right now, Jasper was clearly saying _"I told you so."_ Only he said it with that mischievous look in his eyes and not with his mouth.

Mel gave his hand a squeeze and released it before standing up. Jasper nodded his head towards the little "door" between the levels, silently letting Melody know that he would be fine for a few minutes while she went down to see what Monty had gotten himself all worked up about.

She wasted no time in hurrying down the ladder in order to see what all of the fuss was about. When she got down there, Monty was busily working near his little station. Clarke and Finn hovered by the door, as if they were about to leave when Monty spoke.

Melody arrived just to catch the last half of Monty's sentence. "...I can do it. We'll be talking to The Ark by nightfall."

Melody let go of the ladder and dropped the last few inches that were between her and the floor. A wide smile was on her face as she neared Monty, who was busily messing with…whatever that was. Some sort of control panel? Melody had never been able to speak _engineer. _

"Way to go, Monty." Congratulated Melody as she placed one hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I knew you could do it."

Monty's returning grin caused Melody to chuckle to herself as she let go of him and turned her attention towards his work. It all looked like a jumble of wires that he'd pulled out from behind the control panel. Monty's quick fingers seemed to fiddle with ease, connecting certain wires and detaching others so that he could connect the wristband to the dropship's mainframe and reverse the communication system.

"Do you need any help?" Melody's offer was genuine, but her voice suggested otherwise. She sounded uncertain and even slightly confused. This was not her area of expertise.

Monty snorted, giving Melody a look that clearly said _get real._ "You don't know the first thing about engineering, Mels." He pointed this out in a rather friendly manner, and Melody found herself laughing at the teasing expression on his face. "Just stand there and look pretty, okay?"

"Yes, sir." Melody mock saluted Monty as she turned away from him, looking over at Finn who was standing in the doorway of the dropship.

Melody decided to join the boy who was watching the activity outside. Finn held the curtain-like material that blocked off the dropship's entrance above their heads, leaving just a small opening for the two of them to look through. Mel leaned against Finn slightly as she made room for herself to get a good view of what was going on outside. And what she saw surprised her.

Bellamy had put them all to work. The bigger, stronger guys had been given the task of building the wall. It was a slow-moving project and extremely difficult, but they'd been making great progress for having to use only what they could find. The logs that the guys carried were smooth and thick; very sturdy. Each end had been whittled into a spike so that they could easily stick in the ground and so they warded off any unwelcome visitors. Melody agreed with the goal that Bellamy had given them, which was to have the wall finished within the next few days; she didn't agree with his means of achieving it

When a boy, Conner, stopped working for just a moment he was immediately in trouble. Murphy began walking towards him quickly, obviously angry. The boy seemed to sigh as he turned to look at Murphy, expecting the worst.

"Hey! You think the Grounders are just gonna sit around, and wait for us to finish the wall? Maybe we should let the little girl do the lifting for you, huh?" Taunted Murphy, gesturing to a younger girl.

The girl couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen. Yet Murphy had her out there working, trying some logs together with strips of vine. Melody supposed that everyone should earn their keep, but she still didn't like the fact that the girl was out there working for _Murphy._

"I just need some water, okay? Then I'll be fine." The boy insisted, not moving from his crouched position.

Melody expected the worst, but Murphy didn't have time to say anything.

"Murphy, get this guy some water." Instructed Bellamy, who had now joined the two of them. His attention then shifted towards the little girl. "Hey, you got this?" Bellamy asked as he looked between the girl and the log that Connor had dropped.

Melody was immediately outraged. She burst forward, only to be stopped by Finn's strong arm as it shot out to prevent her from moving forward. Her eyes were alit with anger as she looked up at Finn. He stared back at her, raising his eyebrows slightly. His message was clear; _wait to see how it plays out. _

It was a good thing Finn stopped Melody before she could do something rash. Had she been allowed to, she would have marched over to Bellamy and picked a fight. The two of them may have had a moment of understanding in his tent, but that meant virtually nothing to Melody now. Men like Bellamy Blake -cowards who ruled by scaring others- brought out a side of Melody that was absolutely rabid.

If Melody had approached Bellamy, things surely would have spiraled into insanity. But she didn't, and Melody watched as Bellamy hurried forward to stop the girl from picking up the log. It became apparent then that he had only been joking with the child from the beginning. Bellamy flashed the girl one of his very rare smiles before lifting the log and carrying it towards the group that was busily carving the logs into spikes.

_Bless you, Finn. _Melody thanked the boy silently, grateful that he hadn't allowed her to make a fool of herself.

Melody had just begun think that maybe their little system wasn't so horrible when Murphy returned. Before she knew what was happening, he had unzipped his pants and was drenching Connor's back with his urine. Melody looked on, horrified, as the kid realized what was happening and attempted to retaliate. Of course, Murphy's little henchmen wouldn't let the kid anywhere_ near_ the asshole.

"You wanted a water break." Murphy said simply, smirking as Connor struggled against the many hands that were holding him back. And then, Murphy addressed the onlookers with a sharp command. "Get back to work!"

Melody was disgusted by Murphy. He was one of the most foul, loathsome creatures to roam the planet. She looked on with pride as he walked away from the group, still limping ever so slightly after their little spat. Mel ran her fingers gently along the handle of her knife, which was attached to the belt she wore. Murphy would think twice before crossing her again.

"Hey, Mel?" Octavia's voice called down to Melody, causing her to turn around anxiously. She'd left the girl with Jasper, but at the time Octavia had been resting rather than keeping watch over their wounded friend.

"Everything okay?" Wondered Melody as she watched Octavia descend down the ladder.

Melody watched for a few seconds and was surprised to see another set of boots on the metal rungs of the ladder, just above Octavia's head. She watched with anxious eyes as Jasper slowly made his way down to the lower level. It was the first time he had been ventured off of the upper level since he'd been awake, which had been for a week now. Melody was worried, but she knew that Jasper couldn't stay in bed forever.

"We're going to go outside. Get some fresh air." Octavia explained this as she reached out to help Jasper down the last few steps. "Is that cool?"

"Of course, why wouldn't you…" Melody trailed off slowly as she glanced at Octavia quizzically.

It was then that Melody realized what Octavia was doing; asking for her permission. They all knew how protective Melody was over Jasper, but she definitely was _not_ his keeper. Melody had made it clear that she trusted Octavia and Monty with Jasper's well-being. But it was not hers to entrust to anyone. Jasper was alive and well which meant that it was his turn to make the decisions for himself. Melody no longer had the right.

"If Jasper feels up to it." Melody finally said, shrugging her shoulders. "Clarke said he should be okay to move around a bit. It's his decision."

Octavia's eyes lit up and she smiled up at Jasper. Although he returned the smile, Melody could see his reluctance. Octavia may not have picked up on it, but it was hard for Melody to miss. She figured Jasper might be a little scared about going outside again. The last time he had done so, he had almost been killed. But Jasper couldn't live his life in fear.

That's why Melody urged him outside. "Go on, Goggle Boy." Mel said teasingly, using the pet name with great affection. "We're right here if you need us."

Jasper seemed to appreciate that. He nodded his head at Melody and offered her a faint smile before Octavia dragged him outside. Although he was reluctant, Jasper didn't mind the fact that Octavia was currently holding his hand. That alone made things worth it.

Melody watched as the two walked away, smiling to herself. Octavia was good for Jasper even if Melody hadn't realized it before. She had always blamed Octavia for getting Jasper hurt. After all, he had jumped in the lake to save _her_. Swung across the river first to impress _her_. It took Melody a while to realize that she had been looking at it all wrong. Octavia brought out a better side of Jasper. She made him brave and confident and strong in a world where he was constantly one of the weak links; they all were. Octavia was not a curse, but a blessing.

"How's it coming, Monty?" Wondered Melody as she turned back towards where Monty was fast at work. He was always so quiet that she almost forget he was there.

"It's coming, Mel." Monty said, but his voice was slightly strained. "Slowly."

Melody admired Monty and his willingness to persist. He wasn't the kind of guy who gave up very easily. Each failure brought him closer to success, and Monty realized this. He didn't _like_ it but he realized it. And he never let anyone see him lose hope. Sometimes he was careless and honest around Melody, but only because she was the first one to remind him that he could do it.

"Come on, Slick. You can't give up on us now." Melody chided gently, pleased when a grin spread across Monty's face. He liked when she called him Slick or Brainiac or something else of that degree. The way he beamed when she did this caused Melody to feel giddy and proud. She liked being the reason behind someone's smile. Especially someone as sweet and selfless as Monty.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty amazing, Mels?" Asked Monty, trying his own hand at flattery. He wasn't just saying the words to say them; he meant them whole-heartedly.

"Well, you have." Melody said, pretending to look thoughtful. "So that makes…one." She said, grinning at him as she moved to lean against the little makeshift workbench that he had created.

Monty smiled and shook his head at her. It still amazed him how much Melody had changed over the last week or so. It was like something inside of her had snapped and she'd realized that they were all on the same side. Since then she had been smiling and laughing more than usual. They'd all discovered that Melody was a nice girl underneath her tough exterior. She was always the first one to offer encouraging words when they were needed and she was fiercely protective over the few people she cared for. Even _Octavia. _That alone said something about how much Mel had changed in the last few days.

"Do you think we'll really be able to talk to them?" Asked Melody in an almost hesitant voice.

The best thing about Melody and Monty's relationship was that they didn't sugarcoat things. They were both usually honest and open about their thoughts and ideas. Melody felt that she could trust Monty not to judge or laugh at her when she tried to be serious and thoughtful. And in return, Monty knew that he could trust Melody with anything he said because she wasn't like the others; she was the kind of girl you could actually trust.

"I hope so. I think if I wire it right we'll be able to see them, too." Monty's voice sounded a bit more excited as he spoke. It was obvious that he was pleased about Melody's interest in his work.

"Really? How?" She wondered, looking at the wristband that he was wrapping in wire. There was no screen of any sort on it, so Melody knew that he must have another idea.

Monty pointed across the room to where a small television-like device hung on the wall. It was what they'd watched the Chancellor's message on when they had been about to leave the Ark. Melody had full faith in Monty. If he could reverse the wristband, he could reverse the television.

"Oh Monty, you're a genius!" Melody exclaimed, becoming more excited with each passing moment.

The chances of her being able to talk with anyone on the Ark was slim. She figured that it would be up to Clarke to communicate with them. Bellamy had no interest in talking to the Ark, so she doubted their fearless _leader_ would be up for the task. Clarke however was rather important as well, being the only doctor on Earth. Not to mention she was the only one who took charge aside from Bellamy.

"I like to think so." Monty replied, still smiling as he looked over at Melody. She knew that she was distracting him, but she didn't want to leave. And Monty didn't want her to either, judging by the way he kept talking. "I just don't know how we're going to talk to them. I can probably use Morris code with the wristband. I can turn it on and off to represent different letters. But that'll only work if they're watching closely. And they won't be able to _hear_ us."

That put a damper on things, but at least they would have _something _to let the Ark know that they were alive. If the wristband suddenly came back on, they'd have no choice but to realize that someone had _turned_ it on. And that alone was a good first step.

"I'm sure it'll all work out for the best, Monty." Melody assured him, giving him a thumbs-up. "Keep up the good work, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Would you mind getting us some water? We're running low." Monty told her, nodding his head towards their almost empty canteen.

"Sure. I'll be back in a flash." Melody chirped happily, standing up to grab the clear, bag-like container. "Unless Bellamy puts me to work first."

They both had to laugh at the idea of Bellamy putting her to work. Not only was Melody too small to do most of the hands-on activities, but she had no desire in helping Bellamy with anything. He was well aware of that little fact, which was why he hadn't bothered recruiting her. Their skills were put to better use inside and no one could deny that. Plus, she had a feeling that he knew her group would put up some sort of resistance. And if Bellamy hated anything, it was being publicly defied.

Melody exited the dropship, heading for the basin that was storing all of the drinking water. Some of the kids were constantly boiling water from a stream that they had found nearby. It went quickly, what with almost one hundred people slaving away in the hot sun. Melody slowly filled their bottle up despite the dirty looks she got from a girl that was busily replenishing the supply.

Melody had barely attached the bottle to one of the small clips on her belt when she heard something that made her pause. It had almost sounded like…_screaming_? Melody cocked her head to the side and listened. The next shout was louder and Melody immediately recognized the voice. It was Jasper's voice shouting for Octavia. Her eyes quickly scanned the camp until she realized what Octavia had done; she'd forced him to face his fears by leaving the camp.

Panic rushed through Melody at the thought of what might be happening outside of the wall. That fear fueled her body and threw her into motion. She was running as fast as she could towards the entrance to camp, wondering how on Earth Octavia had managed to sneak past Bellamy's watchful eye. No one was allowed outside unless they were getting supplies; _no one._ And this was the reason why.

Melody had just wormed her way through a gap in the wall when she saw Jasper's back moving further into the forest. "Jasper?" She called out, not sure whether to be relieved or scared at the moment.

Just as Jasper reached the rock, two figures burst out from behind it. One was a guy that Melody didn't recognize. He shouted loudly, obviously intent on scaring Jasper. And it worked. The dangerously pale boy jerked backwards and immediately looked embarrassed. The other person was Octavia, who had obviously not been hiding behind that rock by choice. The boy released Octavia with a laugh and was immediately met by her small hand shoving against his chest.

"Hey, jerk! Get the hell out of here." Octavia commanded, glaring at the guy before turning her worried eyes towards Jasper.

Nothing could have prepared the boy for Melody's fury.

She had closed the distance between herself and the unknown male within a matter of seconds. Melody's small fist connected with his jaw, sending a shooting pain throughout her entire arm. She had thrown her whole body into the punch, knowing that it would do more damage. What she hadn't anticipated was that it would do damage to _both _of them. A dull throbbing sensation quickly began to settle throughout her entire left arm. But the pain was _nothing_ compared to the embarrassment that she had seen on Jasper's face. And she was going to make this boy pay for pulling such an asinine stunt.

"What the hell?" Growled the male who was currently holding his jaw in one hand.

"You think you're funny?" Melody shouted at him, glad to have the element of surprise on her side. All he could do was stare with wide eyes. "Well news flash; you're just an asshole!"

Melody noted, with satisfaction, that she had managed to split his lip. A little bit of blood trickled from the small cut. But that wasn't enough for her. She was sick of people thinking that everything was a _game._ They couldn't just get away with stuff like this. She wouldn't let them.

She lunged for him again, but this time he was expecting it. The boy covered his face with his arms, making it impossible for Melody, who was greatly smaller than him, to make contact with his jaw again. But that was okay by Melody. Instead, she aimed everywhere else. His chest, his gut, his ribs; every part of his exposed body was met by her hard little fists. Melody wasn't very strong, but judging by his grunts she was rather accurate with her punches. It probably wouldn't be enough to do any real damage, but he would remember her whenever he felt his sore muscles the next morning.

Nothing else mattered to Melody in that moment. Avenging Jasper and Octavia was the first thing on her mind. She could hear the both of them yelling at her in the distance. The words barely registered with Melody. It was hard to hear or see anything through her rage, but she did manage to catch a bit of what they were saying.

"Melody, stop! You're going to get yourself into trouble." That was Jasper's voice, begging her to back off before she was "punished." As if she was afraid of what Bellamy Blake had in store for her.

And then there was Octavia, who was doing the opposite of what Jasper was doing. She was egging Melody on. "Hell yeah, Mels! Aim for the throat!"

Melody didn't respond to either one of them, but she did take Octavia's words into account. However, the boy's jugular was just out of reach. Melody settled for hitting everything else she could as the boy retreated, trying to get away from her. Melody still didn't let up.

It wasn't long after that when she felt a set of arms wrap themselves around her waist. Melody was lifted off the ground and pulled away from the boy before she even knew what was going on. The fact that she was being forced away from the boy didn't stop Melody's attack; this time she was verbally beating him up.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She was shouting, glaring at the boy as she struggled in the arms of her captor. "You filthy, despicable, thoughtless _bully_!"

The arms around her tightened, not painfully but in a warning manner, as whoever had ahold of her stopped retreating. It was then that Melody looked down, seeing the tanned arms that had locked themselves around her waist. His grip was tight and controlling and Melody immediately knew who had pulled her off of the boy. _Bellamy Blake. _

The boy was slowly getting to his feet. His dark eyes had trained themselves on Melody and he glared at her as he spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "You crazy bitch! I'll wreck you."

This only infuriated her more and she struggled in Bellamy's grip, desperate to go another round with the boy standing across from her. He was so angry that he was practically shaking as he glared at her. Melody was not afraid; she returned his stare with one of her own.

"You're awful brave now, aren't you?" Melody screamed, disgusted by the show he was trying to put on for the audience that was probably forming behind her.

"Melody, shut the hell _up_." Bellamy hissed in her ear, giving her a pointed squeeze around the waist.

Melody was still seething with rage, but she made herself relax against Bellamy. She was very aware of his hot breath in her ear and his hard chest against her back. The proximity between the two of them was ridiculous, but perhaps that was a good thing. Only Bellamy could hold her back at a time like this.

Finn was suddenly by her side, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Are you okay, Mel?" When she nodded her head, his gaze darkened and turned towards Bellamy. "Let her go."

"Piss off, Spacewalker." Bellamy's answer was immediate and Melody could almost picture the angry look on his face. "The moment I let her go, she'll be out for blood."

Bellamy did have a point. Both Melody and Finn knew that she was not a very forgiving person. She was _trying_ to be, but she just wasn't. Especially not when it came to guys like this who were, in her opinion, the scum of the Earth.

Finn walked over to the guy slowly, palms up to show him that he wasn't going to finish what Melody had started. "Are you alright, man?" Finn asked, noting the boy's slightly split lip. He had to force himself not to smile.

"What does it look like?" Spat the male, glaring at Finn as well as Melody. "That dumb bitch attacked me out of nowhere."

They all looked towards Melody for confirmation. She glared at the male, but didn't say anything. Her attack had not been unprovoked, but she didn't know if her reason would be good enough to make Bellamy happy. Unless…

"Like hell I did! You think you can just manhandle people and get away with it? Pretend to be a grounder just to scare someone? You're lucky it wasn't me you grabbed because in case you haven't noticed, _I'm not as nice as Octavia!_"

That last sentence was enough to make the gears in Bellamy's head come to life. It took him only a few moments to realize what Melody was implying. And the moment he realized that this guy had grabbed been rough with his little sister, Bellamy was the one that needed to be held back.

"You _what_?" He roared, lunging for the male.

Melody immediately realized she had made a mistake. She had mentioned that bit about Octavia in hopes that Bellamy would get angry. What she hadn't anticipated was the fact that he easily threw Finn to the side when the spacewalker had attempted to grab for him. Bellamy looked murderous as he approached the male.

The sound his fist connecting sharply with the male's face caused Melody to cringe. She briefly thought, _hey, why didn't mine sound like that?, _but she pushed the thought away. Melody was quickly moving for Bellamy who was on top of the boy and raining numerous blows upon his head. Melody almost felt _bad_ for the guy. He had just been having a laugh…But it shouldn't have been at Jasper's expense. And now he realized that.

The boy's low groans let Melody know that he'd had enough although Bellamy had only hit him a couple of times. She had gotten the kid into this mess, and it was up to her to get him out. Before she could think better of it, Melody had thrown herself into the mix. She reached for Bellamy's arm in an attempt to pull him off of the boy, but it didn't work. Instead, Bellamy lashed out at her instead.

His fist made contact with Melody's cheek, causing the girl to fall backwards into the dirt. A sharp cry left her lips as pain erupted in the spot that Bellamy had struck. Melody cupped her cheek gently as her vision was dotted with black and white spots. Even the lightest touch caused the area to throb in protest. She lay on her back in the dirt, trying not to writhe as pain all but consumed her.

"Melody? Melody are you with me?" The urgent voice at her ear was the last thing Melody wanted to hear.

Eyes closed, she uttered a soft groan and turned away from Bellamy. The movement jostled her aching arm which only added to the pain Melody was currently feeling. A soft whimper left the girl's lips as she opened her eyes and gazed up at Bellamy's anxious face. The black spots were gone now, but her head was still spinning.

_Did he really just punch me?_

The answer was yes, he had.

Melody felt herself being lifted then, and she couldn't even bring herself to protest. When she finally managed to focus again she realized that it was not Bellamy who carried her now; it was Finn. His arms enveloped her and Finn crushed Melody against his body, refusing to let anyone near her. A couple of people asked if they needed help, but Finn angrily shot down each offer as he made his way through the quickly parting crowd.

Melody could see Octavia and Jasper following, but the boy stumbled and the two of them went to the ground. Melody reached out for them, but realized that they were staring at something in the distance. Whatever it was, it had completely taken their minds off of her. And maybe that was a good thing. Melody didn't want them to see her in her weakened state.

"What the hell happened?" Clarke's voice suddenly filled her ears, much too loud for Melody's liking. It made her groan in protest as she tried to cover her ears. Sadly, her arms remained useless at her side.

"Bellamy punched her."

"What!?" That voiced belonged to Monty. He was quickly approaching as Finn set Melody down gently in a hammock that had been set up on the lower level. It rocked for a few moments and it was all Melody could focus on, even as Monty continued speaking. "Where the hell is he?"

Bellamy chose that moment to make his entrance. "Right here." And there he was, leaning over Melody, just a few inches away from her face. "Damn it, I didn't mean to punch you, sweetheart. I thought you were Spacewalker."

For once, Melody didn't complain about the nickname he continued to use. The only reason she let it slide was because there had been no malice in Bellamy's voice. He only sounded anxious and perhaps just a bit distraught? Melody found it hard to believe that Bellamy Blake would be distraught over _her._

"What. Happened?" Clarke's voice was angry as she moved forward, bending down beside Melody's side. Apparently Finn's answer had not pleased her.

"I tried to-" Melody let out another pain-filled shout as pain evaded her body. The spots were back, taking over her vision once more. Melody's eyes fluttered closed and she laid on the hammock. She was trying pretty damn hard to stay quiet, but she couldn't help the occasional gasp that slipped off of her lips without permission.

"She tried to break up a fight between Bellamy and some kid. And he punched her." Finn's voice was laced with accusation and Melody just knew that he was glaring at the male who was still crouched by her bedside.

"I thought she was _you_." Bellamy's voice was little more than a growl as he stood to his feet in order to face Finn. "Who was I supposed to know that she was going to try and be the hero? It was _her_ fight in the first place. I figured she would let me handle it."

"Well you figured wrong!" Finn bellowed, his more protective side now coming out. It was usually reserved for Clarke, but somehow Melody had managed to worm her way into his heart without him having realized it. He felt fiercely protective as he looked down at the the small, frail girl who suddenly looked so weak. And in that moment he wanted to taste Bellamy Blake's blood.

No one messed with _his_ girls.

With that thought in mind, Finn began to move towards Bellamy. He only got a few steps before Monty intercepted him, having guessed that Finn wouldn't let this go.

"Both of you need to cool down." Monty advised, looking between the two of them seriously. Monty had on his I-mean-business voice. It was a tone that he seldom used, but when he did they all stopped to listen. "Fighting isn't going to change anything. And you'll only upset Melody even more."

That seemed to reach them. Finn stomped off towards the ladder while Bellamy turned and walked out of the dropship. It was only the three of them left. Clarke was looking over Melody anxiously and Monty was standing nearby, ready to intervene if Finn and Bellamy came back in.

Clarke's fingers were gentle on Melody's face, but no matter how hard she tried to be careful she still managed to make Melody's face throb with pain. The area was quickly turning a sickly combination of yellow and purple. Clarke gently probed Melody's bruising skin and was glad to find that her cheekbone hadn't been shattered in the brawl. It was just going to bruise up and hurt like a bitch for a couple of days.

"Mel, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do for you." Clarke said softly, looking into Melody's eyes and speaking slowly. The poor girl looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

"_Fuck_." The harsh expletive left Melody's mouth before she could even think to stop it. When she realized what she had said, Mel smiled up at Monty and apologized. "Sorry 'bout your virgin ears, slick." They all laughed at this, but Melody's laughter died off in a series of soft whimpers.

It was obvious that Melody was about to succumb to the sleep that threatened to take over. Clarke didn't think she had a concussion or anything, seeing as how the blow wasn't to her head. She was probably just drowsy from the amount of pain that she was in. Bellamy had struck her _hard_. Clarke felt bad for Melody, who was the least deserving out of all of them.

"I'm tired, Clarke." Mel mumbled softly, blinking up at the blonde angel. Her mind was going fuzzy and she could have sworn that there was a halo above that head of pretty, blonde curls. And Clarke seemed to be emitting a kind of glowing light. It was real pretty...dazzling, even. Melody _swore _this girl was an angel. But maybe she was mistaken. "Your halo is lovely. Where did you get it?"

"I know, Melody." Clarke said gently as she smiled down at her friend as she mentioned a "halo." She must be confused; that was to be expected. "You can rest now. And when you wake up I'll tell you all about this halo of mine. _Not that you'll remember,_ she added silently in her mind.

"Mmkay." Mumbled Melody, finally allowing the full extent of the drowsiness to consume her. She curled up on her side, ignoring the throbbing of her bad arm. It only made the sleep come faster. She was just about unconscious when something stirred her from the impending wave of sleepiness.

A deep voice caused Melody's green eyes to flutter open once more as she looked across the dropship. She could have _sworn_ she saw a certain dark-haired prince there, trying to make his way to her. Yes, he was equipped with a sword and a shield. His dark brown eyes bore into hers, reflecting what looked like sadness. But sadness for what? The fuzziness that was suddenly taking root in her mind? No, he couldn't know about that. It must have been sadness from something else. Or maybe it wasn't even sadness at all. Maybe it was something else and she had been mistaken. Maybe he was coming to wake her from the eternal sleep that she could feel setting in? Maybe.

But hell, what did she know?

The angel was there, pushing Melody's prince out of the room. Melody wanted to tell her to stop, but the words wouldn't form. "You need to leave, Bellamy." The angel said angrily, blocking him from Mel's view.

It was the prince's voice that she heard then, quiet and gentle. "When she wakes up, tell her I'm sorry." The prince mumbled, before turning around and walking out of the room.

_Sorry? Sorry for what?_

Melody was still trying to figure out what when sleep took over, washing all memories of the angel and prince from her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has written a review. They are like my fuel. Reviews=inspiration=frequent uploads. I fangirl over each and every review that I read and I'm thankful to have such enthusiastic readers. **

**It's been a while since I've said it, but I still do not own The 100. I don't own the characters or the plotlines. I simply manipulate them to reflect my own story. I only own my OCs [Who, let's face it, we wish were actually canon] and ideas. **

**Chapter Nine**

Melody awoke a few hours later and immediately wished that she hadn't.

The pain had lessened a bit, but it was still present in both her arm and face. The throbbing had stopped and now her face and arm just _ached_. Melody had never been in a fight before, so this pain was new to her. But beyond the pain that she felt, Melody also felt a strong sense of pride. On top of her pride, Melody felt oddly exhilarated. It was like a new side of her had woken up; a dangerous, badass side that she hadn't even known existed. Boy, had she and Bellamy given that kid a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

_Wait…Bellamy._

Melody's memories were slightly fuzzy, but they were coming back piece by piece. She remembered the outrage she had felt when that boy had laughed at Jasper's reaction to his little _joke_. She also could remember the sharp pain that had shot across her entire body the first time she had punched him. The first time she had punched _anyone._ And with the pain had come a sense of power. Melody had completely unleashed all of her hatred on that poor boy and she was relentless in her attack.

And then she had been pulled off of him. Finn had been there to stop her from hurting him further…wait, no. It hadn't been Finn. Finn had been there, but it was _Bellamy_ who had pulled her away from the boy. Bellamy had been interested in getting her away from the kid and Finn had been interested in making sure they were both alright. Melody had struggled against Bellamy, but it had been no use. She could still hear his angry words echoing in her mind.

_The moment I let her go, she'll be out for blood._

That was true. Melody remembered feeling angry and helpless because the boy had not paid enough for what he had done to Jasper. And then, she'd done something entirely stupid in her rage. She had informed Bellamy that the boy had grabbed Octavia. Bellamy had gone rabid, and Melody had tried to stop him….But then what?

She remembered nothing except for pain. Finn had carried her crumpled body back to the dropship because Melody was in no condition to walk. He'd been absolutely ferocious, refusing the help of anyone that tried to come near them. They'd gone into the dropship and she was left in Clarke's capable hands. Clarke had demanded to know what had happened and…

"_Holy shit._" Breathed Melody, sitting straight up in the hammock.

_He'd punched her._

Just sitting up had Melody gritting her teeth and trying not to cry out. Her arm throbbed fiercely in protest, causing Melody to cradle it to her chest. Once she was up, however, the pain in her arm wasn't that bad.

It took her a few minutes to realize that she wasn't alone in the dropship. Mel's green eyes thoroughly scanned the lower level, falling on Monty who was still working on connecting the wristband's communication system to the dropship. He was the only one there, though. The rest of her friends had gone off to only God knew where, leaving her to rest and Monty to work. But Melody was sick of resting.

With a groan, Melody managed to climb to her feet. Even the slight jostling movement hurt her arm. Looking down, Melody saw that her knuckles were quickly turning black and blue. What she wouldn't give for some painkillers…

"Whoa, Mels. Careful." Instructed Monty, who was somehow already at her side. His hand was gripping Melody's good arm, helping to steady her.

"I'm fine, Monty." Melody insisted, glad to find that speaking didn't hurt her face quite so much anymore. It still made it ache, but it was bearable.

"You're not fine, Melody." Monty objected as he frowned down at her. "You got punched in the face and you almost broke your hand."

"Yeah, well I'll live." Melody assured him, brushing off his touch as she moved towards the door.

"Clarke said you should be resting." Called Monty, but he was smart enough not to try and stop her from leaving. He saw what she'd done to the last guy that pissed her off. "She's not going to be happy when she sees you're up. Neither is Finn…or Bellamy."

His words brought back a new memory. She recalled Finn and Bellamy's angry voices shouting at one another. They had been fighting because of her. Finn had been _so_ angry. It had actually surprised Melody a bit when he had so casually slipped into the role of her protector. And then there was Bellamy, who had insisted over and over that it was an accident. He had sounded sincere enough.

_Damn it, I didn't mean to punch you, sweetheart. I thought you were spacewalker. _

"Monty, I _am _fine. Really." Melody assured the boy with a wide smile as she twirled in a little circle to prove that she was okay. Thankfully the small motion did nothing to bump her arm, so she was able to pull off the convincing grin she forced onto her face.

"Melody it's only been a couple of hours…You should rest." Pressed Monty, but his voice was slowly loosing its influence.

"Come on, slick. We both know that I'm no good at following directions." Teased Melody softly as she turned back around to place a gentle hand on Monty's shoulder. "I can't just sit around all day, Monty. Nothing is broken and I feel..."

"Don't say _fine._" Monty warned.

"I do feel fine though." Melody insisted. "I know what I can and can't handle, Monty. But if it makes you feel better I'll go check with Clarke before I find that kid and convince him to go another round."

Her words succeeded in putting a smile on Monty's face. "That was a pretty kickass thing to do, Mel." He admitted, looking down at her with something similar to admiration in his eyes. "You're a tough one."

"Guns of steel, baby." Melody raised one arm and flexed her pitiful biceps.

Monty laughed and shook his head before going back towards his control panel. Melody took that to mean that he wasn't going to fight her on this. It wouldn't have made much of a different if he had, anyways. Melody was the kind of girl that made up her own mind. And right now she was determined to get out of the dropship and make herself useful.

Melody walked through the camp slowly, glad to see that everyone had gone back to doing their daily tasks. The wall was still being built rapidly as she had expected. Murphy was still barking orders and people were still cowering beneath him. Melody didn't have the energy to say or do anything about it, especially in her current state. Going round for round with Murphy would not end in her favor.

The first person Melody encountered was Finn. He had decided to help with gathering and boiling water. It wasn't surprising, considering the fact that Melody knew he liked to venture outside of camp more often than not. Plus, he had been the one to discover the little waterfall where they got their water and he was constantly having to lead people to it anyways.

"Hey, Finn." Melody greeted, waggling her fingers in a little wave as she approached him.

The boy's head snapped up at the sound of her voice and his gaze darkened. Melody immediately knew that he was going to protest about the fact that she was already up and out of bed. If this was what it felt like to have people caring for you it was very restricting. But at the same time, the thought of them worrying for her warmed Melody's heart a bit. It was nice to know that they cared.

"Melody you're on bed rest." Finn scolded her as he dumped another bucket of boiled water into the basin. The supplies were some of the few they'd had on the dropship. Melody suspected that the ship had been used as a storage space or something before they'd fixed it up, because they'd found several plastic buckets and what looked like plastic wash-tubs hidden under some of the seats.

"Finn, I've already been through the whole spiel." Melody informed him, holding up one hand to stop him from protesting further. "I am fine. I just need to see Clarke."

The look in Finn's eyes told Melody that he wanted to argue with her until she went back to bed. But they both knew that arguing would only make things worse. Besides, nothing he said would make her get back in that bed and stare at the ceiling all day.

"Fine." Finn said shortly. "They're in that tent." He swept his arm out and gestured to a multi-colored tent that was just a few feet away.

"They?" Questioned Melody, raising an eyebrow.

"Clarke, Jasper, Octavia…maybe Bellamy." Finn shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Jasper and Octavia looked pretty freaked out when they got back to camp."

That piqued Melody's interest. She had always been a curious little thing and now she was wondering what Octavia and Jasper had seen that left such an impression.

"Alright. I guess I'll go get some clearance from Clarke before I do anything else." Melody said softly, taking a few steps away from Finn.

"Call if you need anything." The offer was genuine and it brought a soft smile to Melody's face.

"Of course, _dad_." Mel said mockingly, earning herself a grin from Finn.

She had a way of making people forget their troubles. It was a gift, really. Melody may not have realized the effect she could have, but everyone else did.

Mel started off in the direction of the tent, a frown falling upon her face as soon as she had turned away from Finn's watchful gaze. His words echoed in her mind. _Jasper and Octavia looked pretty freaked out when they got back to camp_.

It was like Melody to want to be in the middle of the action. She liked feeling included in the big things; especially when they concerned her friends. Injured or not, she wasn't going to let anything stop her from being a part of whatever was going on in that tent. She had _just_ gotten used to being welcomed into the mix of things. No bruised face or sore hand was going to keep her away.

Melody unzipped the tent flap and stepped in, quickly shutting the little door behind her. The voices had stopped as soon as she'd walked in. When she spun around to face the group, she found four pairs of hesitant eyes looking at her. Melody didn't even both to pretend that she had just innocently happened upon them all. She frowned as she looked between Bellamy and Clarke, who were standing just a few inches apart. Neither one of them looked very happy.

"What's going on?" Demanded Melody instantly as she moved forward, forcing her way into the circle of trust bit by bit.

"Mel, shouldn't you be-" Jasper began to bring up her current condition, but Melody refused to be dismissed so easily.

"I'm fine, Jasper." She said, her voice hard and controlled as she looked between Bellamy and Clarke once more. "What is going on?" Mel repeated, raising her eyebrows at the two of them.

They were both silent. It was obvious that neither one of them wanted to involve Melody in whatever they were fighting about. And she forced herself not to take it personally. _It's just because you're injured, Melody. They don't want to stress you out. _

It was obvious that they had been locked in some sort of power struggle prior to Melody's arrival. _That _was nothing new. The two of them hardly ever agreed on anything and they were both so stubborn that it resulted in constant conflict.

"Clarke?" Melody probed, figuring she would have better luck with getting the golden-haired doctor to spill than she would if she asked Bellamy.

Still, Clarke remained silent.

It was Octavia who spoke up in Melody's favor. "Tell her." Octavia said seriously, looking between the two of them. "Melody is one of _us_. She has a right to know."

Melody didn't know when "_us_" had extended to Bellamy Blake, but she didn't have time to question it. Octavia's words had an almost dark undertone that let Melody know something big had happened. Not that it surprised her, really. Their lives had been nothing but one big mess of disasters ever since they arrived on Earth. The sea serpent, Jasper's spearing, poisonous fog, _Murphy,_ Wells' death, Atom's death…Melody was convinced she could handle whatever Clarke threw at her.

"Wells was murdered." When Melody failed to respond, Clarke sighed loudly and added, "By one of our own."

The effect that Clarke's words had on Melody was immediate. She blinked a few times as she tried to process exactly what that meant. _One of our own. _That meant that someone in the camp had killed Wells and pinned it on the grounders. Melody couldn't say she was overly surprised with this news, but it still made her heart ache for the poor boy. He'd been a target for most of the delinquents, but he had still done what he could to try and help out. He'd been doing it for Clarke, but it had effected them all. And then, to be killed by one of his own…

It was despicable.

"Murdered." Melody repeated softly, shaking her head slowly as if she couldn't quite believe it. "How do you know?"

Clarke held up a knife that was very similar to Melody's. It had obviously been made from the metal of the dropship. "Jasper and Octavia found this. Along with some of Wells' fingers."

"His _fingers_?" Melody was appalled.

"Cut clean off. They were laying near the spot where Clarke found his body." Interjected Octavia with a frown. "The knife was beside them."

"What are we going to do?" Wondered Melody.

Bellamy finally spoke up. "_Nothing._" He said, sounding almost angry.

"Nothing? There's a murderer among our people!" Melody cried out, looking at Bellamy with a confused expression on her face.

Didn't he want to serve up some justice?

"There's more than one murderer in this camp. This isn't news." He pointed out. "We need to keep it quiet."

_Quiet?_ Melody couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"We are pardoned." Melody said firmly, glaring daggers at Bellamy as she crossed her arms over her chest -with quite a bit of pain accompanying the simple motion- and stood her ground. "The moment we got down here all of our crimes were erased. "

"Oh they were, sweetheart?" Bellamy asked, his sinister glare chilling Melody to the bone. He waited for a few moments to add emphasis to his words. "Were they _really_?"

Melody froze as the double meaning to his words seeped into her mind. It was obvious that he was referring to Melody's little episode that had taken place just a week or so earlier. Bellamy _knew_ that she was still guilty over Doctor Evans' death. He'd seen the effect the memory had on her. And he had promised to keep it a secret.

"Yes. Or so I was told." Replied Melody, her words every bit as suggestive as she had intended for them to be. It was clear what she was really saying; _you promised to keep your mouth shut. _

Bellamy understood.

Apparently no one else noticed the silent exchange that had gone on between the two of them. Fueled by the truth behind Melody's words, Clarke was trying to make her way past Bellamy. Of course he didn't even budge. Instead, he just stared down at Clarke with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Get out of my way, Bellamy." Demanded Clarke.

Melody and Clarke were alike in so many ways. They were both strong and stubborn and refused to be intimidated by Bellamy Blake. When the two of them were together, they just seemed to feed off of one another's angst. Clarke's words had thrown Melody into motion, and in return Melody's words had fired up Clarke. They were a good but dangerous team.

Bellamy tried his hand at reasoning with her. "Clarke, be smart about this. Look at what we've achieved… the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us." The only problem with his logic was that it was corrupt.

"Oh, good for you, you mean. What… keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?"

The angry side of Clarke had come out now. The side that Melody could relate to most. Neither one of them liked the way Bellamy used the delinquents. He scared them, threatened them, in order to get them to do manual labor. It wasn't right.

"Yeah. That's it. But it's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall." Bellamy didn't even try to deny it. He knew what he was doing, and he thought that it was the best approach. "And besides, what are you gonna do… just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is."

That's where he was wrong.

"Oh really?" Clarke asked, holding up the knife. "J.M. John Murphy." Clarke brushed by him and Bellamy did nothing to stop her this time. "The people have a right to know."

The four of them were hot on her heels. They walked out just as Clarke shoved Murphy, screaming obscenities at him. Bellamy moved forward, but this time it was Melody's turn to stop him.

"No. She needs to do this." Mel said quietly, placing one hand on his arm in an almost pleading yet somehow firm manner.

The two of them just watched as things went down.

"Recognize this?" Clarke demanded, holding up the knife that belonged to Murphy. When he reached for it, Clarke stepped backwards and out of his reach.

"That's my knife." Murphy stated, frowning at her. For a moment Melody thought he almost looked a bit confused. "Where'd you find it?"

Clarke didn't buy into Murphy's pretend confusion for even a moment. "Where you dropped it after you killed Wells."

"Where I what?" Murphy asked, looking at Clarke with a scowl.

By now a crowd was beginning for form. Like always, the delinquents were overly eager for any form of conflict. Murphy looked around for a moment as he noticed the people beginning to form a loose circle around him and Clarke.

"The grounders killed Wells. Not me."

The two of them argued back and forth for several minutes. Clarke continued to point out how much Murphy had hated Wells. Murphy had reminded her that a lot of people hated Wells, considering his father had put them all in prison. Clarke pointed out that they had gotten into several fights, but Murphy had pointed out that he hadn't killed Wells then, either.

"He tried to kill Jasper, too!" Called Octavia, adding fuel to the fire as always.

Jasper looked around slowly, his eyes wide and confused. "What?" He asked quietly, inching closer to Melody and Octavia.

Mel reached out and placed one hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. She hadn't thought to tell Jasper about her little fight with Murphy. She didn't really see the point, considering the fact that he had lived. But now she wished she had.

"This is ridiculous." Murphy said, shaking his head slightly. "I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to _anyone._" He said loudly as he threw his hands in the air.

"Come again?" Bellamy looked at Murphy with narrowed eyes.

Murphy began to approach them, and Melody found herself stepping backwards slightly as he spoke to Bellamy. "Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this."

Bellamy look unconvinced. "They found his fingers on the ground with your knife." He informed Murphy quietly. It was obvious he didn't want to be in this situation, but there was nothing he could do to help Murphy. There was solid evidence against him.

Clarke was on a role now, fueled by her anger at what had happened to her friend. "Is this the kind of society that we want? You say there should be no rules. Does that mean that we can kill each other without… without punishment?"

"I say we float him!" A delinquent called out, causing a few others to shout their agreement.

The words made Melody's blood run cold. _Float him?_ They couldn't do that. This wasn't the Ark and they couldn't just "float' the people that they didn't want in their society. She agreed with Clarke on the fact that there should be some sort of punishment. Some sort of justice. But Melody did not want to see anyone else killed.

Murphy was a dick, but he was one of them.

"No." Melody whispered, shaking her head with wide eyes.

It was terrifying how quickly the delinquents turned on Murphy. He had wronged a lot of them, but he didn't deserve to _die._

Melody thought of an earlier conversation she'd had with Monty. The two of them had been sitting on the upper level, watching over Jasper who had just been brought back to camp. They were discussing how little life meant to most of them.

"_Isn't it sad?" Melody asked suddenly, turning her thoughtful eyes onto Monty. _

"_Isn't what sad?" Came his curious reply._

"_How little they care about human life. On the Ark, we were all disposable. The majority of the crimes were punishable by death. Ninety percent of those kids have parents or relatives that were floated. The only reason we weren't floated is because we're too young." Melody explained, shaking her head sadly. "We can't just let everybody die, Monty. It's not right." _

"Clarke!" Melody's voice was panicked as she watched the crowd begin to get antsy. They were all murmuring their agreement with the delinquent who had suggested the harshest punishment imaginable.

They wanted Murphy dead.

"That's not what I'm saying." Clarke said quietly, looking at the boy who had caused such an uproar.

"Why not? It's justice." He replied. There were more words of agreement from the rest of the delinquents.

"Revenge isn't justice!" Argued Clarke, looking at the boy with almost as much disgust as Melody was.

"It's justice. Float him!" The boy cried out. And then, he began to chant. "Float him, float him, float him!"

Soon the entire crowd was chanting. _Float him, float him, float him! _The only ones not chanting were Clarke, Bellamy, Melody, Octavia, Jasper, and Monty.

Murphy tried to run, but he was immediately knocked down. The moment he was on the ground the group pounced. People were punching and kicking him left and right, squelching any effort he made to get to his feet. It was absolute chaos. Among the uproar, Melody could only make out one voice; Clarke's.

"_No! Get off him! Get off of him! Let him go! You can't do this!_" Clarke sounded nearly hysterical as she tried to fight her way to Murphy's side.

Octavia tried to push her way forward, but Bellamy reached out and pulled her backwards. The anger in Octavia's eyes snapped at him like fire. It was obvious that she didn't agree with this any more than the rest of them did. But what could she do?

Melody moved forward then, to help Clarke if not anything else, but she too was pulled back. Melody turned to glare at Jasper, who looked at her evenly. His grip on her was tight and it was obvious she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this.

"Bellamy, you have to do something!" Melody shouted, trying to struggle against Jasper's grip. "They'll kill him!"

Everyone was moving forward, following the group of guys that had ahold of Murphy. Melody watched in horror as they threw a rope over a tree branch and pushed Murphy towards it. On the end of the rope was a noose. The men were quickly fitting it around Murphy's neck and lifted him up.

Melody knew in that moment that there was no helping Murphy.

Clarke however, was oblivious as she shoved at Bellamy's chest and shouted. "You can stop this! They'll listen to you!"

"Bellamy. You should do it!" The delinquent shouted, pointing a finger at Bellamy.

_Bel-la-my, Bel-la-my, Bel-la-my! _

They were now chanting his name. It seemed that everyone wanted Bellamy to be the one to end Murphy's life. And it looked like he was actually debating it, despite the horrified look on the face of his sister, Clarke, and Melody.

"I know you're not a killer!" Clarke shouted, her voice taking on a desperate and pleading tone.

Melody looked at Murphy who was shaking his head at Bellamy. Silently begging him not to do it. He was silent because of the piece of material they had wrapped around his mouth, gagging him. But the look in his eyes said it all; _I don't deserve to die. _

And he didn't.

But that didn't stop Bellamy from moving forward. Melody screamed hysterically, begging him to reconsider. She couldn't form coherent thoughts as she watched him. All she could manage to get out was a string of words. "_Please no. No. Bellamy!" _

Melody was outnumbered. She was screaming for him to stop, but the rest of them were egging him on. Melody watched in horror as Bellamy moved forward and kicked the pile of wood supporting Murphy out from under him.

Murphy writhed in pain as the rope cut into the flesh of his neck. He squirmed, trying to get free, but it was no use. People cheered and shouted and some even _clapped._ But Melody simply watched in horror as Murphy slowly began to lose oxygen.

"No, Bellamy, no!" Clarke was shouting and pounding on Bellamy's chest, tears running down her face.

Bellamy had Clarke by the arms and he was shaking her, just as angry. "This is on you, princess. You should've kept your mouth shut!"

It was a nightmare. Melody couldn't peel her eyes away from Murphy. She knew that this image would be seared into her memory. The image of his body jerking and twisting. The terrified look in his eyes as the life was slowly drained from his body.

Some memories stayed with you forever.

"What the hell are you doing? Cut him down!" Finn was running towards the group now, having just emerged from some place in the woods. He paused to usher some girl away from the hanging, but she didn't budge.

Melody recognized her. It was Charlotte, the girl that Bellamy had been joking with only this morning. She was just a small thing, not even thirteen yet. Her eyes were wide and horrified as she watched everything unfold around her.

The girl obviously wasn't listening to Finn, so Melody took it upon herself to make sure she wasn't traumatized further. Wrenching her arm from Jasper's grasp, Melody rushed to the younger girl's side.

"Charlotte, you need to go! You need to get out of here!" Melody was shouting, but the young girl seemed to hardly hear her. "Get back to the dropship!"

Octavia was beside Melody suddenly, trying to help. Octavia's arms wrapped around Charlotte and she attempted to pull the girl away. Charlotte, however, had other plans. She tore free and ran forward, her voice echoing loudly throughout the forest.

"Stop! Okay? Murphy didn't kill Wells!"

Everyone paused in surprise as they listened to the small girl. There was a moment of confused mumbling, and then everything went quiet. All eyes were on Charlotte as she looked around the group, angry and possibly afraid.

"I did!"

|oOo|

"Bing out the girl Bellamy!"

Murphy's voice was loud and angry as he paced outside of the tent. Clarke had cut him down and Finn had untied the rope from around his neck just in time. In just a few minutes Murphy had recovered from the bit of oxygen loss. And now he wanted revenge.

Melody stared at the tent where Bellamy and the girl had retreated along with Clarke and Finn. The minutes had slowly ticked by as they all stood outside, watching and waiting for something to happen. The entire group was behind Murphy now. It seemed that they had all forgotten how badly they'd wanted his blood just a few minutes before. Now, they wanted Charlotte's.

"Bring the girl out now!" Shouted Murphy.

Melody was anxious. She stood next to Octavia on the front line, directly behind Murphy. Unlike Murphy, they didn't want to see Charlotte die. Melody and Octavia were able to look beyond the so-called "justice" that everyone was talking about. All they saw was a scared little girl. They saw a girl who didn't know if she was going to live or die. They saw _themselves_.

Melody had been thirteen years old when she was imprisoned for murder. She'd been afraid of dying then. Octavia had spent her whole life hiding under the floor, not knowing if someone might discover her little secret. She'd been afraid of dying then. And when Octavia had been arrested when she was fifteen years old simply for _being born_, she'd been afraid of death then, too.

They both knew what it was like to be in Charlotte's position.

"You want to build a society, princess? Let's build a society. Bring her out."

While Murphy was howling, Melody reached over and slipped her hand into Octavia's. Startled, the girl turned her head towards Melody. Their gazes clashed for a moment and the scared look in Melody's eyes was mirrored in Octavia's. They were both thinking the same thing.

_This could have been me._

Bellamy ducked out of the tent then, and Octavia's grip on Melody's hand tightened. Mel knew that the girl was afraid for her brother. Murphy had an entire army behind him…Leader or not, Bellamy wouldn't stand a chance against all of them. He could be hanged just as Murphy had been. Melody gave Octavia's hand a gentle squeeze, and turned her gaze towards the two boys.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us." Murphy moved towards Bellamy quickly, his strides long and smooth.

"Dial it down and back off." Ordered Bellamy.

"Or what?" Now Murphy was challenging him. "What are you going to do, Bellamy? Hang me?"

"I was just giving the people what they wanted."

His words reminded Melody of yet another conversation.

"_Not me, sweetheart. Them." Bellamy said, sweeping his arm out as if to gesture to the entire camp. "The people get what they want. It's always been that way. And I have to deliver. They want Jasper dead; I have to be the one to kill him if he doesn't recover."_

_Melody wasn't convinced. "You don't have to do anything, Bellamy! You have a mind of your own." She reminded him, wondering if everyone down here had forgotten that little fact. _

"_That's where you're wrong, Melody." Bellamy said, slowly shaking his head at her. "I have to do a lot of things. I have to provide for these people. I have to try and keep peace between everyone. I have to decide what's best in the long run. I have to lead them."_

And once again, Bellamy had proved to her that he did not have a mind of his own. Or if he did, he was too much of a coward to say so. Power was more important to him than doing the right thing.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't we do that right now?" Murphy asked softly as he turned around to face the crowd. "So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up? All in favor?" Asked Murphy, raising his hand.

Only a few hands went up. The hands of the boys who had so eagerly beat Murphy down to deliver what they referred to as _justice. _Melody doubted they even knew what the word meant. She was glad, however, to see that the majority of the people didn't move. In contrary to what she had believed, they weren't his soldiers. They were just onlookers; an audience.

The fact that so few people wanted to see Charlotte hanged seemed to anger Murphy. No, he wasn't angry…he was _outraged._

"I see. So, it's okay to string me up for _nothing_, but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk?" With each word his voice has raised until he was shouting at them all. "Cowards! All of you are cowards!"

"Murphy!" Bellamy roared his name, attempting to catch the boy's attention over his own shouting. Bellamy moved forward slowly, not stopping until he and Murphy were face-to-face. "It's over."

Murphy looked at Bellamy for a few moments. He seemed to be weighing his options. "Whatever you say, boss." He held his palms up innocently in defeat.

Bellamy turned his back on Murphy and that was his first mistake. He hadn't even taken a few steps when Murphy picked up a piece of firewood and hit him over the head with it. There was a loud _crack _before Bellamy fell to the ground.

Octavia was screaming as she attempted to run towards her brother. "Son of a bitch!"

Murphy stepped towards her and Jasper tried to hold Octavia back. Murphy lashed out with one hand, punching Jasper square in the throat. He fell backwards into the dirt and Octavia ran towards Bellamy.

"Come on. Let's get the girl." Murphy nodded to his buddies and they headed for the tent.

Melody bent by Jasper's side as she anxiously look him over. He'd gotten the wind knocked out of him and was probably in a lot of pain, but he still managed to sit up. Although he was struggling to breathe, Jasper waved her away saying, "_Charlotte." _

Melody climbed to her feet once more and watched as Murphy and his goons ducked into the tent. There was a bellow of rage as Murphy exited tent one more. Relief coursed through Melody's body as she realized that Charlotte wasn't in the tent. Somehow she had managed to get away. No doubt with the help of Clarke and Finn.

"Charlotte! Charlotte, I know you can hear me! And when I find you, you are gonna pay!" Murphy looked at the other guys and nodded his head swiftly towards the gate. "Come on."

Murphy's threat sent a shiver down Melody's spine. She knew that Murphy would kill Charlotte without a moment's hesitation. All she could do was pray that she got to the girl first.

Melody turned around just as Monty was helping Jasper get to his feet. Although he was laughing, Jasper was visibly shaken. He had been through so much in the last few weeks…The poor kid just could not catch a break.

"Can you take care of him, Monty?" Melody asked anxiously as she walked towards the two boys.

"Melody, you can't leave." Monty replied, not bothering to answer her question. "Murphy already has it out for you. If you try and help Charlotte he won't hesitate before he kills you."

"I have to. I can't let Charlotte fend for herself." Melody almost sounded apologetic as she looked at the two boys who wore matching, fearful expressions.

"She's not your problem, Mel." Said Jasper. "Why would you risk your life for her?"

"_You_ weren't my problem either, Jasper!" Melody snapped. "And I risked my life for you." The words had come out harsher than she had intended, but it was the truth.

And hadn't he been _just_ told her to help the girl instead of him?

They couldn't understand why she needed to do this and Melody couldn't bring herself to tell them. What was she supposed to _say_? Melody couldn't explain to them why she needed to save Charlotte without also telling them her deepest secret. And as much as she wanted to be completely honest with them, she just wasn't ready for that information to be revealed.

"We're just worried, Melody." Monty's voice was soft now. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

Mel sighed loudly and nodded her head. "I _know_ that, Monty. I know you guys think you have to watch out for me, but I can handle myself."

It was ironic that Melody would say that considering how much _she_ watched out for _them_. The irony was not lost on any of them, and soon the three friends were grinning at one another. The tense mood had been broken and Melody took advantage of it.

"Don't worry. If I see Murphy I'll run, okay? I can outrun them if nothing else." Melody looked at the two of them hopefully. She didn't _need_ their permission, but she wanted it. She wanted them to let her go willingly so they wouldn't be disappointed when she left regardless of who tried to stop her.

Monty and Jasper exchanged a look. It was a few moments before Jasper finally sighed and nodded in defeat. "Just be careful, Melody. I don't like the idea of you out there all by yourself." He admitted, looking at her affectionately.

"She won't be alone."

All three of their heads whipped towards the left where Bellamy was quickly approaching. The side of his head was covered in blood and dirt, but otherwise he seemed completely unaffected by Murphy's assault. Octavia hovered at his side, looking just as worried as Monty and Jasper had.

It was pointless to try and fight with Bellamy. He was just as stubborn as she was. So instead, Melody decided that she would just accept the fact that he wanted to tag along.

_This doesn't mean you forgive him._

"You're coming with me?" Asked Melody, raising her eyebrows and hoping he would say no.

"Yeah. It's not safe out there by yourself." Bellamy said simply, looking towards the forest's edge.

"It's settled then." Melody gave the two boys what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "We'd better head out before it gets dark."

"Be safe." Octavia said quietly, looking between her brother and her friend. "Both of you. I expect you'll be returning to me in one piece."

"That's the plan, O." Bellamy said, smiling at her before he turned to Melody. "You ready?"

"As ready as ever." Mel said softly, nodding her head in confirmation. She looked at Jasper and Monty, giving them a small wave, before the two of them set out. "I'll see you soon."

And then, they were leaving.

It was almost nightfall by the time they started out. Melody knew that it would be dangerous out there with only the moonlight to guide them. She also knew there was a greater chance that all of the things wanting to kill them were asleep. So, the chance of their survival was probably right around even with their chance of death. _That _was comforting.

Melody and Bellamy didn't talk for a while. There was nothing for the two of them to say. They were not friends; just two people united for the same cause. The silence was not unbearable by any means. Melody had spent so long by herself that silence was actually more comforting than anything he could say to her. And if they weren't talking there was no chance they could be fighting. God knew that when one of them opened their mouth the other _always _had something to say.

As if sensing Melody's thoughts, Bellamy chose that moment to open his mouth.

"I know why you care so much." Stated Bellamy boldly.

Melody's eyebrows flew up in surprise as she turned her head to look at him. "Oh you do?" She asked, trying to sound indifferent. It was hard to sound so casual when all she really wanted to do was grab him and demand that he tell her what he knew.

Melody didn't like people trying to break down her walls. What she _did _like was keeping everyone at arm's length. And while she cared greatly for all of her friends, Melody didn't allow them to _know_ her. They only knew what she wanted them to. They saw the honorable and ambitious side of Melody. They did not see the demons hiding just beneath the surface.

On a certain level she was completely sealed off; a closed book. When someone got too close, Melody pushed them away. She didn't want to be analyzed or understood, but at the same time she wanted nothing more than to be accepted fully by those that she cared for. Melody's mind was a complex and scary place. How could anyone understand her when she didn't even understand herself?

And more importantly, how did Bellamy Blake seemed to read her so easily?

"You care because Charlotte is just a kid." Bellamy said slowly, looking fixedly at Melody with those serious, dark brown eyes. "She's just a frightened little girl that did what she thought she had to. And you can relate to that."

The words caused Melody to break out in a cold sweat. Everything he'd just said was absolutely true. It was as if he had taken the thoughts directly from her mind and somehow transformed them beautifully to describe exactly what she was feeling deep down in the pit of her gut. It made her wonder…how much did he _really_ know?

"You want justice." Continued Bellamy, oblivious to the internal turmoil that was rampant in Melody's mind. "But it isn't the same kind of justice Murphy is calling for. You want Charlotte to get a second chance. You want her to be given the same opportunity that the council gave to you."

The words shook Melody to her core. The fact that _Bellamy Blake _was able to dissect her mind so easily was absolutely terrifying. It made Melody feel so…_exposed. _All of her innermost thoughts were out in the open, suspended in mid-air between them. Rather than giving Bellamy the satisfaction of seeing just how much he had affected her, Melody decided that she would neither deny nor confirm his statements.

Instead, she settled on changing the subject; it was one of her many defenses.

"And I know why you care so much." Insisted Melody softly. She had to clear her somewhat shaky voice before continuing. "You look at Charlotte and you see Octavia."

Melody was surprised when Bellamy visibly tensed. It wasn't all that noticeable, but she still saw the subtle way he clenched his jaw and the sudden rigidness of his posture. His reaction let her know that her hesitant declaration had been spot-on

"Octavia spent her entire life hiding out of fear. She was young and defenseless and she didn't deserve to spend every day wondering if she would live to see the next morning. She was an unregistered child. They could have floated her in the blink of an eye." Melody pointed out, thinking about how the council seemed to have sort of a soft spot for children. They were, after all, the future generation. "But they didn't float her, Bellamy. Because even the _council _knew that murdering children was inhumane."

"But they floated my mother!" Bellamy's voice was still quiet, but it now had a sharp edge to it. The words seemed to come out as a hiss. "They floated my mother and locked up Octavia."

Apparently he didn't like it when she brought up the generosity of the council.

"And they floated my father." Melody snapped back at him. "I didn't say the council was just. They simply _understood._ And we both know that Charlotte deserves the same opportunity that me and Octavia were given."

Bellamy was scowling at her now. It had become apparent that he was not fond of Melody picking apart his thoughts. Still, he didn't try to contradict her. They both knew that this was a sensitive subject given their complicated pasts on the Ark. And they both understood that this was their chance to make Earth _better._ To instill a new policy; a policy of justice that was flexible enough to be bent and manipulated, but not broken.

"Floating" could no longer be the ultimate punishment.

They were quiet for a few minutes then and there seemed to be some sort of unspoken understanding between the two of them. It didn't matter what their differences had been in the past. Every little insignificant fight they'd gotten into and all of every exchange of hateful words fueled by their anger had been set aside. Right now, they were allies.

This time, Melody broke the silence between them. It wasn't something she was used to doing; small talk had never been her forte. Bur she felt that it was her place to say something now. It only felt _right_ to let Bellamy know that she hadn't just brushed off his earlier words. She'd heard them loud and clear.

"I'm sorry that they floated your mother." The words were soft and sincere. This was one of the rare instances where Melody could relate to Bellamy. She, too, had lost one of her parents. It was hard. "It must have been hard.

"I managed. She hadn't ever been much of a parent, anyways." Admitted Bellamy. "I was the one that had to raise myself and Octavia. My sister, my responsibility."

The revelation surprised Melody.

Melody's mother had always been so doting and loving...in her own way, of course. In Mel's eyes, she was more of a mother than most. Grace Pond had gone through more than any women should have had to in order to provide her daughter with everything she could ever need or want. Sure, she hadn't exactly been the best role model at times, but she did her best.

_Women are meant to be delicate, Melody. We are built for domestic duties, not battle. _

Melody knew that her mother had been weak in many ways. Grace had also tried to make Melody just as delicate and fragile as she was. And that had been one of her biggest mistakes. But despite her medieval ways of thinking, Grace Pondhad also been so _strong._ She taught Melody right from wrong, good from bad, and everything in between. She had instilled upon her daughter a sense of morality and values. She raised Melody be an upstanding citizen of the Ark…right up until she was imprisoned.

"Oh…" Melody trailed off slowly, not sure what to say. She knew that Bellamy would not appreciate her pity, so she refrained from apologizing again.

"I'm sorry about your dad." His tone was more sincere than Melody had expected possible from a guy like him. Bellamy wasn't one to be all sentimental and genuine.

Before she could even think better of it, she was blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. "Why? You didn't even know him."

Bellamy looked at her, obviously puzzled. "No, I didn't know him. But you didn't know my mother, either." He pointed out. "Any life lost is a misfortune. Even if it isn't _my_ misfortune, it's somebody's."

The words all but took Melody's breath away. This side of Bellamy was one she had never seen before. The fact that she was privileged enough to see his more thoughtful and considerate side made Melody feel kind of…_special._ She knew that this was the first step to becoming friends with Bellamy. It might take a long time for the two of them to see eye to eye. Hell, they may _never _see eye to eye. But they were making some progress and it was more than Melody would have ever expected.

"Thanks. It wasn't that bad, though. I didn't know him well or anything." Melody said softly, shrugging her shoulders as she all but brushed his condolences off. "My mom pretty much raised me from the time I was four or five." And before that time, she had no memories.

"She must have been a good mom." Bellamy commented, further surprising Melody. When he caught her startled gaze, Bellamy looked a bit sheepish. "I mean, you turned out alright. You're tough and opinionated. I can only imagine what your mother is like."

Melody laughed out loud and had to clap one hand over her mouth in order to stifle the almost hysterical laughter. Her mother was far from _tough_ and _opinionated. _The giggles burst up and out of her throat without Melody's permission. She just couldn't fathom a world where her mother was anything other than meek and submissive.

"Oh no. No, no, no." Melody said, meeting Bellamy's amused gaze. "My mother is the exact opposite of me. She's quiet and timid and jumps every time the pipes creak."

Bellamy looked both surprised by her words and amused by her reaction to his. Giving her a puzzled little smile, he asked for her to elaborate. "Then how did you manage to end up like you are? So…independent." He finally decided on the most accurate and lest offensive word in his vocabulary. God knew there were a _lot_ of other ways he could have phrased it.

"Oh, that's Jason's doing. He…" Melody trailed off rather quickly. She was immediately tense and guarded once more, avoiding Bellamy's gaze. It was obvious that their discussion was over.

An almost nostalgic sense of pain flooded through Melody's body. When it came to Jason, Melody's feelings were more complex than anything. She had memories from two different times; it almost seemed as if she were two different people when it came to Doctor Jason Evans. There was a time that Melody liked to refer to as _before. _Before prison, before the murder, and before the man she had once adored turned into a monster before her very eyes.

Jason had always treated Melody well. He and her mother had been together for almost as long as Melody could remember. Jason had substituted for a father considering her biological one had been floated before Melody got the chance to know him. And like any father, Jason had loved her. Melody could remember a time when he had greeted her hugs and kisses and sent her to bed with wild stories of knights and princesses. Times where he had lavished her with gifts of dolls and sweets and an endless amount of educational books; all of which she had a weakness for.

A time when he had held her hand when she cried and reminded her that even little girls could be brave if they wanted to. A time when he had picked her up and dusted her off after every little scrape and bruise. A time when he had told her to toughen up and stand up for what she believed in, even if she stood alone. It was Jason who had instilled a sense of courage and strength in Melody, not her mother. She had been about to tell Bellamy that when she remembered why she couldn't…That was the time that she knew as _before._

Melody was currently living in _after._

The time period that she knew to be _after_ had started when Melody was twelve years old. It was during her twelfth year that she realized what was hidden beneath the surface of the man she had once idolized. She started noticing the way her mother seemed to cower down in his presence. She saw the number of bruises that marred her mother's once flawless, ivory skin. And that was when Melody knew that there was more to Jason Evans than what met the eye. That was when _after_ had truly begun.

The rest of the story wasn't as complicated. Bellamy already knew most of what had happened. She had killed Jason Evans in what appeared to be cold blood…No one knew otherwise. Melody didn't mention the fact that the doctor had forced himself on her. She didn't mention the smug smirk on his face after he had finished with her and went on about his business as if he hadn't just ruined Melody forever. She hadn't even dared to allow herself to think about his last words.

_See you for dinner. _

But he hadn't made it to dinner. Because not even a few hours later -when the shame and hatred had taken over Melody's mind and left her completely broken- she had returned to that hospital room. And she had returned wielding a scalpel. She had ended that doctor's life and had felt only relief. Relief for herself and for her mother. It wasn't until later that the guilt hit. But by then, it didn't matter. They were finally _free_ of him.

Melody had slayed the monster.

No one understood why Melody was so tough and intimidating. They all just assumed that she was a total bitch because she liked it that way. They didn't understand that she _had_ to be strong. They didn't understand what had happened the last time she had allowed herself be weak. And from that moment on, Melody had vowed to never be weak again if she could help it. She had realized that she didn't just have to put on a brave smile and take whatever abuse came her way, like her mother had done. After all… _little girls can be brave if they want to. _

Melody had certainly proved that.

"Do you hear that?"

Bellamy's voice snapped Melody out of her thoughts. Or rather, memories. Cocking her head to one side, Melody listened as intently as she possibly could. That was when she heard it…the sound of light footsteps against the forest floor. The labored breathing of someone who had been running for far too long.

They looked at each other and said in unison, "Charlotte."

It wasn't long then before the saw her. Melody nudged Bellamy forward. They both knew that he would be the only one who could reach her in a time like this. After all, the two of them had bonded over something that Melody just didn't understand. Mostly because Bellamy hadn't said anything about it.

Bellamy lunged forward and wrapped one firm arm around the girl's waist. With his free hand, Bellamy pressed it against her mouth in order to stop the startled cry that left the girl's lips. Charlotte looked at him with wide and scared eyes as she struggled against his grip. Bellamy was quick to soothe her. "Shhh."

Somewhere in the distance, Murphy's voice rang out and resonated in the forest. "Charlotte! You can't hide forever. Don't worry. We won't hurt you."

Bellamy grabbed Charlotte by one arm and then they were running through the forest. It wasn't as easy for Melody as it should have been. Her arm was still injured although the pain had withdrew, and she was drained from the activities that had taken place earlier in the morning. Somehow she forced herself to power through it all. Being smaller and lighter than most mad her very quick. Even injured she was managing to keep up with both Bellamy and Charlotte.

What Melody didn't understand was why the girl was fighting Bellamy every step of the way. She dragged her feet and struggled as she tried to wriggle her way out of his grip. As if _that_ would happen. Melody knew from experience that Bellamy's grip was like an iron vise. How else would he have been able to contain her on so many occasions?

"Let me go!" Shrieked Charlotte as she tried to pull her arm away from Bellamy.

"I'm trying to help you!" Bellamy hissed, looking at the girl in confusion. He turned his gaze towards Melody, who simply shrugged.

"I'm not your sister! Just stop helping me!" Charlotte snapped at him. That was a low blow. "I'm over here!" She shouted loudly, trying to get the attention of Murphy as she escaped from Bellamy's grip and began running in the opposite direction.

He was after her immediately, grabbing the girl by her small shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Are you trying to get us all killed?" Demanded Bellamy, his gaze narrowing at her in both anger and confusion. Didn't she realize they were trying to help?

"Just go, okay?" Charlotte pleaded urgently as she looked between the two of them. "I'm the one they want."

"Charlotte, listen to me!" Bellamy's voice was soft and soothing as he changed tactics. "We won't leave you."

"Please, Bellamy…" Whispered Charlotte. Moments later, she was shouting again. "Murphy! I'm over here!"

"Bellamy!" Melody said lowly, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a bright orange flame glowing in the darkness. "They're close."

Bellamy slung Charlotte over his shoulder and began to run. The girl shrieked the whole time, but that didn't stop them from trying to put as much distance between themselves and Murphy as possible.

"Come on out, Charlotte! Come on out." Murphy's voice was louder now and Melody knew that they were gaining. Things weren't looking good for them…And Charlotte was only adding to the problem.

"Put me down!" Her shrieking was growing louder and more desperate. They had to do something to get her quiet. And soon.

"Charlotte, listen to me." Melody said with a frown as she hurried behind Bellamy. The two of them were face to face. "_M_e, Charlotte. Look at _me._ Not Bellamy. Bellamy doesn't understand."

"And you do?" Asked Charlotte, sounding unconvinced. "I'm a killer, Melody! A killer. I deserve to die."

The words surprised and angered Melody. They brought out the newfound fierceness in her as she glared up at Charlotte. "No. Don't you ever say that! You hear me?" Melody's voice must have been as convincing as she had intended for it to be, because Charlotte grew quiet. "_Everyone _deserves a fair chance. You're just a kid, you haven't even _begun_ to live. You do not deserve to die any more than I do."

The girl didn't look convinced. She was sniffling now, but she was no longer shouting. Melody wished their troubles had ended there, but she could hear Murphy and his gang approaching quickly. Mel continued to run forward until suddenly Bellamy put one hand out to stop her. Melody was confused at first as to why they were stopping when Murphy was trailing them so closely.

But then, she realized that they were at the edge of a cliff.

"Damn it." Bellamy said quietly, sounding defeated.

Melody didn't have time to console Bellamy. Before anyone could say another word, Murphy and his group were breaking through the small clearing. Now face-to-face, Melody felt all the more terrified. It didn't help that if she made one wrong move she would be falling one hundred feet to her death.

"Bellamy! You cannot fight all of us. Give her up." Murphy demanded, looking between the three of them.

Bellamy's reply was so _him_. "Maybe not, but I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me." He sounded so confident that Melody couldn't help but to be hopeful.

"_We'll _take a few of you down." Amended Melody.

Bellamy stepped in front of Charlotte protectively as he looked around and tried to think of a strategy. Melody moved to stand next to him, gripping her knife tightly in one hand. They were greatly outnumbered, but that didn't mean they would give up. Melody and Bellamy had one thing in common, if nothing else; their spirit.

They refused to be broken.

"Bellamy, stop!" Things might have gone down different if Clarke hadn't chosen that moment to burst through the trees. Finn was hot on her heels, like always. They had really gotten themselves into something this time…"This has gone too far." Clarke continued as she looked between Murphy and Bellamy. "Just calm down and we'll talk about this." She urged, now focusing her attention on Murphy.

Murphy's sinister glare cut across each of them in turn. First Charlotte, then Bellamy, and finally it landed on Melody. She thought that maybe he might see reason, but before any of them could blink, he had Clarke pressed up against his body and his knife at her throat. He turned his glare onto her as he pressed the knife closer to her flesh. "I am _sick_ of listening to you talk."

"Let her go." Finn moved forward, but he wasn't armed. There was nothing he could do.

"Back off!" Murphy warned. "I will slit her throat."

None of them doubted his word.

"No please!" Charlotte cried out, looking anxiously between Murphy's sharp knife and Clarke's exposed throat. "Don't hurt her."

Bellamy's hand was restraining Charlotte as he tried to keep her from doing something stupid. The little girl was as unpredictable as they came. Melody knew that she would give herself up and not blink twice. For being a murderer, she was awfully _innocent. _She was trying to protect them all. But she was putting herself in harm's way in order to do so.

"Don't hurt her? Okay, I'll make you a deal." Murphy offered. "You come with me right now, I will let her go."

Melody didn't believe a word that came out of his slimy little mouth. Neither did anyone else with half a brain. Charlotte, however, seemed to weigh the possibilities.

"Don't do it, Charlotte!" Clarke shouted, shaking her head rapidly.

Still, the girl began to move forward. Bellamy reached out and grabbed Charlotte by the arms. She struggled and the two of them fought for a few moments as Bellamy tried to convince her not to do anything stupid. They were just a little too close to the edge for Melody's liking. So, she slithered back towards them and stayed at Charlotte's side. Being sandwiched between the two older kids gave her no escape.

"I have to!" She cried anxiously as she continued to fight Bellamy's hold.

Their eyes met over Charlotte's head just moments before Bellamy pushed the younger girl towards Melody. Mel's small arm wrapped around Charlotte's shoulders as she held the girl tight to her side. She watched with fear in her heart as Bellamy moved forward in an attempt to reason with Murphy.

"Murphy, this is not happening." Bellamy was using his authoritative voice that he reserved for when he was talking to one of _his_ people. And although Murphy was a bastard, he was still one of them. Bellamy was still the leader and Murphy still had to obey or face the consequences. And Melody had a feeling that if blood was spilled by Murphy's hand, Bellamy would not be so forgiving.

"I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did." Charlotte said slowly.

The small girl turned towards Melody slightly. It appeared as if she were going to bury herself against Melody's side. In response, Mel's grip loosened slightly in order to give Charlotte some room to move. And Charlotte took full advantage. Before Melody could even blink, the girl had ducked beneath her arm and was throwing herself off of the edge of the cliff.

"No!" Bellamy shouted loudly as he ran back towards the edge of the cliff.

Melody was already on her knees, watching as the small body made an equally small splash in the water below. There was no help for Charlotte; she would die on impact. Clare's devastated voice reached Melody's ears as she began to sob. In a few moments a pair of small, thin arms wrapped around her shoulders. Melody knew that Clarke was trying to console her. And for some reason, she let her. A heart wrenching sob rang out as Melody covered her eyes with her hands and tried to erase the images from her memory.

But as she already knew, some memories stayed with your forever.

"Bellamy…"

Nothing could stop Bellamy from throwing himself at Murphy. The two went rolling across the forest floor. Melody listened as the sound of Bellamy's grunts rang out, as well as the sound of his fist colliding with what she assumed was Murphy's face. Even if Melody could have, she wouldn't have stopped Bellamy from attacking Murphy. Because now, Murphy was getting the justice he had been asking for.

Clarke, however, had other ideas. She had released Melody and was running back towards the two boys. "Bellamy, stop!" Urged Clarke. "You'll kill him!"

"Good." Melody was slowly climbing to her feet. She had managed to regain control of her body and she was no longer too heartbroken to move. There was only one thing on her mind right now. It seemed to be the common theme of the night; _justice. _

Melody spun around and lunged for the boys that were currently on the group. If she punched Bellamy, so be it. _An eye for an eye. _She was longing to feel Murphy's broken face beneath her fists. Rage had consumed her and there was no room left for sadness.

"Melody, no!" Clarke grabbed her and yanked her backwards.

Melody struggled against her grip. Had it been anyone else, Melody would have gone through them in an attempt to get to Murphy. The fury that now fueled her actions was unlike anything she had ever felt before. But Clarke wasn't just anybody. She was Melody's _friend_. So, Melody struggled and thrashed about as she watched Finn tear Bellamy away from Murphy.

"Get off of me! He deserves to die!" Roared Bellamy as he fought to get back to Murphy.

Clarke had released Melody and she now stood in front of Murphy. The stance was almost protective and it angered both Bellamy and Melody. Their eyes met once more and the hatred Melody felt was reflected in Bellamy's gaze. This was _personal._ Clarke and Finn may not realize the significance of what had just happened, but it was not lost on the two rebel warriors that had fought tooth and nail to protect that little girl.

Charlotte had been floated.

Just like Melody could have been. Just like Octavia could have been. And here she was, absolutely helpless. _Just like she was on the Ark. _Melody didn't blame Finn and Clarke for not understanding where her hatred was coming from. They didn't understand that this was all so symbolic to her. And once again, Melody had failed to defend a helpless, young girl. Just like she had failed to defend herself.

"We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here." Clarke shouted, looking at Bellamy and Melody with angry, yet pleading eyes.

That was what Melody had been saying all along. She'd been saying it ever since Murphy had tried to kill Jasper that day in the dropship. Like her, Clarke understood the significance of human life. However, Clarke had better control of her emotions. She hadn't allowed anger to cloud her judgment, whereas Melody had. She had been fully intent on seeing Murphy die tonight.

_Would I have been able to live with myself if I'd helped to kill Murphy?_

The answer was no, she wouldn't have. They couldn't just kill. They had to respect human life although they had been raised in a world where it was insignificant. Because they had to be _better_ than those who came before them. They had to be civilized.

"So help me god, if you say the people have a right to decide…" Bellamy was looking at Clarke, torn between doing what he really wanted and being the better person.

"No, I was wrong before, okay? You were right. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by whatever the hell we want. We need rules." Clarke insisted.

Bellamy ran a hand through his long, dark hair and sighed audibly. "And who makes those rules, huh? You?"

That didn't sound like such a bad idea to Melody. Clarke was intelligent and fair and would be a great leader…But she lacked influence. She needed someone by her side who was strong enough to rule by force or fear or whatever. Someone who could reign in the delinquents if necessary. Someone like…

Bellamy.

Clarke seemed to have the same idea. "For now, we make the rules. Okay?"

Bellamy seemed to accept this, but it was obvious that he was still angry. "So, what, then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?" He demanded, gesturing to where Murphy lay on the forest floor. His face was bloody and swollen.

"No!" Insisted Clarke. She looked at Murphy and then her gaze fell onto Melody. "We _banish_ him." Clarke said vehemently, looking to Melody as if asking for her opinion. Apparently, this was now a democracy.

Melody had to agree it was a better idea than killing him. None of them needed that blood on their hands…none of them needed the guilt that would accompany it. So, she gave Clarke a single, curt nod.

Bellamy moved towards Murphy again. He grabbed the boy by his shirt and hauled him to his feet, saying simply, "Get up."

Melody had mixed feelings at this point. She wanted Murphy to suffer for what he had done. For what he had _caused. _But at the same time, she couldn't stomach seeing a person -even one as horrible as Murphy- die. Each life was _precious._ She had to constantly remind herself of this whenever it came to people who were the scum of the Earth; people like Murphy and the boy she had assaulted earlier the very same day.

"Bellamy, stop!" Clarke called out, watching in horror as Bellamy dragged Murphy towards the edge of the cliff. The same edge where a little girl had taken her final breaths.

"Bellamy." Melody said softly. She wasn't very loud, but she caught his attention. Mel shook her head slightly, a sad frown on her face. Her eyes conveyed the message that she couldn't bring herself to say aloud; _he's not worth it. _

Bellamy seemed to debate it for a few moments. Melody really thought he might kill Murphy when she heard his low and dangerous warning. "If I ever catch you near camp, we'll be back here. Understand?"

Murphy nodded weakly in response to the words. Bellamy shoved him aside and the boy fell to the ground. Melody forced herself to look away from him and towards Bellamy. She would _not_ let herself feel bad. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"As for the four of you," Bellamy addressed the group that had been following Murphy. The ones who had been so blood-thirsty, but now looked like they were shaking in their boots. "You can come back and follow me or go off with him to die. Your choice."

Bellamy began to walk away from them all. After a moment he stopped and turned back to Melody with his eyebrows raised. She nodded her head slightly and began to follow after him. The curious look that Finn gave her was not lost on Melody. She desperately wanted to tell him that she couldn't stay. That she couldn't look at Murphy for one more second without feeling the familiar guilt as what she had been about to do truly sunk in…but all she managed to do was give him a weak smile.

They walked back to camp in silence. Neither of them felt like making idle chitchat. The silence was not uncomfortable, however. Not on _either_ side. There was a newfound bond between the two of them that Melody didn't quite understand yet. They were not friends, but they were not enemies…they were allies. Comrades.

And for now, that was enough.

|oOo|

"Will we be able to talk to them?" Wondered Clarke, echoing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

They all watched anxiously as Monty put the finishing touches on his project. It looked like a mess of metal, wires, and wristbands. When Melody had poked the mass of junk and voiced her opinion out loud, Monty had informed her that it was _exactly_ a mess of metal, wires, and wristbands. But it was also a complex system that she should refrain from touching.

Monty had sass.

"No. More like Morse code." He informed her, touching the tip of a screwdriver to the wristband for the last time. "You want to do the honors?" Monty asked Jasper as he offered him a wire.

The two exchanged a wide grin before Monty began to show Jasper what he needed to do. "That port right there." He said, pointing to a spot on the wristband.

They all watched in expectation as they waited for something. _Anything._ Maybe a voice or a signal of some sort…But what they got was less than assuring. There was a huge spark as Monty's work was completely lost.

Clarke was the first one to question it. "What happened?"

"Didn't work." Monty said simply, before a pained expression crossed his face. "I think…I think we fried all of the wristbands."

Melody didn't speak engineer. However, no one needed to explain anything to her. Monty's work had been destroyed and now all of the wristbands were non-operational. Without working wristbands, Monty had no technology…

In other words, they had officially lost all hope.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

For the first night in a long time, things were quiet around the camp. An almost peaceful feeling had settled over the area following the aftermath of Bellamy and Clarke's declaration that they would now be co-leading. Everyone seemed to feel a little bit better now that they no longer had to face Murphy's fierce glare and be victims to his harsh words. Murphy's banishment had been accepted by all of the delinquents, but Charlotte's death had unnerved them. Melody supposed that was why everyone had decided to take it easy that night.

There were several fires lit around camp and the majority of them were surrounded by small groups of kids. People talked quietly and laughed amongst themselves, but mostly they just enjoyed the beautiful night. There was a certain air throughout the camp that was light and untroubled. The moon was bright, the stars were out, and the wall was finally completed.

They could all rest easy tonight.

Melody had succeeded in finding one of the few fires that was abandoned by those who had decided to retire for the night. When she reached it the fire was little more than a pile of glowing, orange embers. Melody had bent beside the pile of firewood and made herself busy as she urged the flame back to life. Within moments it was slowly begging to build itself back up, radiating a warmth that enveloped her lovingly.

She eased herself to the ground and sat as close to the fire as possible without the risk of being roasted alive. Despite the heat seeping into her skin, Melody felt so cold inside. Over and over again the images of Charlotte jumping from the cliff played in her mind. It filled Melody with a deep sense of sadness as she thought about the young girl that could have been such an important attribute to their society.

_Eight down, ninety-two to go. _

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching caused Melody to tense slightly. She wasn't in the mood for company; it was why she had distanced herself from the group. It was why she had distanced herself from _everyone._ Melody couldn't stand to sit in the dropship and listen as Octavia babied Jasper about frying the freaking wristbands. As if they didn't have _bigger _problems.

"I'm not in the mood." Melody barked out at whoever was approaching. She figured that whoever it was, friend or foe, would have enough common sense to turn around and leave her alone.

Melody kept her eyes trained on the fire as the footsteps continued to bring the mystery person closer and closer. The sound of gentle breathing could soon be heard. It was soft and even, as if the person had not a care in the world. There seemed to be slight hesitation in whether or not they should approach, but eventually Melody could feel the presence of someone sitting down next to her.

She was completely prepared to lash out at whoever it was, but before she had the chance to do so Melody heard a soft, gravelly voice in her ear and immediately all traces of anger seemed to fade away, into the background.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Asked Bellamy.

He had lowered himself to the ground beside her and was currently trying to warm his hands by her fire. Bellamy's presence seemed to be doing funny things to Melody as of late. It felt so natural for Melody to feed off of his anger when they were fighting; she had always seemed to do that. But now things were starting to change between them. When Bellamy used his soft, kind voice and looked at her with that _damned_ concerned look in his eyes she felt as if they were almost…_friends. _She almost felt like she could let down her guard.

Depending on the situation, he either fueled the flame inside of her or extinguished it.

"I'm fine." Melody said shortly, not allowing her gaze to stray from the blazing fire that raged in front of her.

Bellamy scoffed at Melody's words, once again seeing right through her. "You're grieving."

"I'm grieving?" Melody's eyes snapped towards Bellamy. A newfound ferocity blazed within their emerald green depths. How _dare_ he try and put such a mundane label on her feelings. "And you know this how?"

It was obvious that Bellamy was surprised by the sudden shift in Melody. He had noticed that she almost seemed to bounce between multiple personalities. There was the friendly and inviting side of Melody that he was so rarely blessed with and then there was the guarded, defensive side of her that seemed to come out of hiding whenever he was around. It was as if she were afraid of letting him anywhere near the inner workings of her mind. Not that Bellamy blamed her, of course; he kept a tight wrap on his private thoughts, too.

"I know because I'm grieving, too." Bellamy said simply, lifting his shoulders slightly in a shrugging motion.

A harsh laugh rang out in the air between the two of them. "You're not grieving like I am, Bellamy. You're not the one with Charlotte's death on your conscience."

"I'm not?" It was Bellamy's turn to be angry now as he glared down at Melody. "I failed to protect her, Melody. I _promised_ I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And now she's dead."

It hadn't occurred to Melody that the male might have a guilty conscious of his own. Bellamy had made it his mission to protect Charlotte from Murphy at all costs. Even when they'd been backed onto the cliff, he had been willing to fight to the death just so the girl might have a slim chance of escaping. Still, she wasn't convinced that he felt even an inkling of the guilt that now consumed her mind, body, and soul.

"I _let go_, Bellamy!" Melody was shouting now, unable to stop the nearly hysterical edge that had creeped into her voice. "I had a hold of her. My arm was draped over her shoulders and I was holding her _so close _that our bodies were practically one. And then…I let go." The last three words were barely more than a whisper in the wind.

Melody leaned forward somewhat and rested her brow against her bent knees. Dainty arms wrapped protectively around her head, entirely hiding Melody's devastated expression from Bellamy's view. Mel had the strongest urge to bury her face in the safety of her arms and cry until she had no more tears left to shed. But she knew that it would accomplish absolutely nothing.

"You can't blame yourself for this, Melody." Bellamy said firmly.

_Oh yes I can._

"It's all my fault." Was Melody's muffled reply.

She could feel something in the air shift. Moments later she felt Bellamy's arm pressing itself against her shoulders. The weight of his arm draped across her back was a bit awkward and they both tensed slightly at the proximity between them. Yet somehow, the action was oddly comforting.

"No it isn't. I don't think it's either one of our faults." Bellamy admitted, shaking his head gently. "I think that no matter what we did, Charlotte was determined to die."

The thought made Melody's stomach churn. She remembered the words that Charlotte had said to them. _I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did._ And it occurred to Melody then that Charlotte might have _wanted_ to die. Perhaps the guilt had eaten away at her so much that she thought it was the only solution. Maybe Charlotte's demons haunted her nightmares just as Melody's did. But Melody could have taught Charlotte how to let go of everything and move forward. She could have taught her how to _cope. _

"It was probably the guilt." Melody added softly, sitting up now, but she kept her knees pressed tightly to her chest.

"The guilt over killing Wells or letting Murphy almost get hanged?" Asked Bellamy, looking down at Melody with a wry smile on his face.

Melody burst out laughing, the sound shaky and slightly frantic. She knew that it was the most inappropriate time to be laughing, but she couldn't help herself. There was just something about the almost ironic way that Bellamy had said the words. The laughter had been short, but it relieved some of the weight that was bearing down on her chest. It was either laugh or cry, and Melody didn't want to do the latter.

"Killing Wells." Melody replied, although the question had most likely been rhetorical. Her voice was soft and filled with understanding. "It's a guilt that doesn't just go away." The words hung in the air between them as Melody once again over-shared her thoughts and said something that she hadn't intended to say.

Bellamy was silent for a few minutes, as if he was thinking her words over. When he finally did speak again, his voice sounded thoughtful yet almost…hollow. "Does it ever go away?" He wondered.

Melody looked at Bellamy and was surprised to see the shameful gleam in his eyes. Shame looked so out of place in those dark, smoldering brown eyes. Once again Melody had the feeling that Bellamy was hiding something; something big.

"No." Melody sad sadly, shaking her head. "You can bury it. You can ignore it. But it doesn't go away." She informed him. "Even if you come to peace with everything, the guilt never really goes away. It just fades."

He didn't respond to Melody's words, but that didn't surprise her. She had found that when they were talking like this, just the two of them, Bellamy didn't always feel the need to voice his opinion. He didn't really have to, because Melody was just as comfortable with silence as she was with talking. Maybe even more so.

The silence that settled over them was calming. The pain in Melody's chest lessened slightly with every passing minute although it didn't go away. She doubted it would _ever_ go away, but having someone who shared her pain by her side had begun the healing process. Her newfound friendship -or whatever it was- with Bellamy was unexpected to say the least. But not even Melody could deny that they had some sort of connection. It wasn't what she felt with her other friends - she felt something deeper than just friendship with Clarke, Finn, Monty, Jasper, and even Octavia- but it was definitely something.

"Hey Bellamy…" Melody trailed off when she looked beside her and saw that no one was there. She suspected that he had been gone for a while now and she just hadn't realized it. She had been far too wrapped up in her thoughts to pay much attention to him, anyways.

Mel didn't know whether she should be relieved that she got what she had originally wanted -solitude- or if she should be upset that Bellamy had left her alone to grieve by herself. Whenever he was around, it didn't hurt so badly. It was as if he shouldered some of her pain. Alone, Melody didn't know if she could handle all of the guilt. It felt to her like no one else _understood._ Not the way Bellamy did.

Melody didn't like the fact that she felt so dependent on the boy all of a sudden. If there was anything Melody prided herself on -aside from badassedness- it was her independence. She liked being able to handle shit on her own. Relying on other people was not a good habit to develop; she knew from experience.

But when it came to Bellamy Blake, nothing about their relationship was very _rational._

Melody didn't know when she had begun to let Bellamy in. Perhaps it was that night in his tent, after she had gotten into the fight with Murphy; the night she had kept him from killing Jasper. Bellamy had revealed that he had known about her crimes all along. In return, Melody had called that painful afternoon so many years ago when she had murdered the man that was as good as her father. Her savior, her father, her abuser, her destroyer, her _victim_; Jason Evans had been many things to Melody. And the memories that Bellamy's words had inspired left Melody feeling vulnerable and panicked.

That's when she realized it; when she could pinpoint the exact moment she had begun to let her guard down.

"_Bellamy…" Melody trailed off, not knowing what to say. Every instinct told her to get on her knees and beg him not to tell anyone. But Melody was not the begging type. She never had been and never would be. _

"_I won't tell anyone, Melody." Bellamy said suddenly, surprising her. "We all have our secrets, don't we?" An odd smirk made its way onto his face, as if he understood her urgency to keep this between the two of them, and Melody wondered for a moment what Bellamy was hiding. _

That was the moment Melody realized that while Bellamy may have been a "power hungry, self-serving jackass," he was still a person. Up until that moment she had been judging him rather harshly, based off of the way he so easily manipulated people and how he was so willing to make the hard decisions. She had thought of him as cold and heartless and possibly even robotic. But in that moment, when he had offered to keep her secret for no reason other than common decency, Melody truly began to realize that there might be something more buried beneath the surface.

Now, Melody wasn't saying that Bellamy was anywhere close to being included in "_us._" Their small group was a very fragile thing; there wasn't a lot of room for new additions. Clarke and Finn had already covered the roles of responsibility. Monty was the brains of the group and Jasper was the comedian. Octavia was the rebel. And then there was Melody, who was their protector. Bellamy had no place amongst them; he had no _purpose._

But maybe one day.

Melody sat thinking for a long, long time. She'd spent four years just _thinking_. Thinking about her mother, whom they never let visit, and how she was managing by herself in the Factory Station. Thinking about Jason. Thinking about what he did. Thinking about herself. About how much she had lost and in return, how much she had changed. Four solid years of thinking -of _dwelling_- and she managed to keep hold of her sanity.

Melody found that she liked thinking on Earth. The memories down here were traumatic, but they were strangely beautiful. She liked to think about that very first day in the dropship. The day that she had first met Jasper and Monty. She liked to recall the energetic and optimistic vibe -the one that had long ago vanished- that Jasper had been giving off. She liked to remember the brush of his fingers against his as they spiraled out of control, falling into the Earth's atmosphere. And she fondly recalled his laughter as he spun her around and around as they took their first steps on Earth. They had persevered.

She also liked to remember the long days they'd spent on their journey to Mount Weather. Melody found that she could think about that time period and smile as she thought back to the beginning of "_us_." They hadn't known each other then, but it hadn't mattered. There had always been that underlying sense of loyalty and protectiveness. That was proven when Jasper had dove into the lake after Octavia. It was proven again when the boys had insisted Melody sleep between the two of them, so she would be safe. And it was proven again when Jasper had gotten speared and they had done everything in their power to bring him home. They had persevered.

Even now, with Charlotte's death just barely behind them, Melody was able to think about it and begin to heal. She recalled the time that she had spent in the woods, searching for Charlotte with Bellamy. And it warmed her heart to think about how Bellamy had been so eager to risk his life for the young girl. Not to mention the fact that Charlotte's death had caused Murphy's banishment. It was horrible that the young girl's life had to be lost in order to bring everyone together. Melody and Bellamy as friends, Bellamy and Clarke as co-leaders, and the 100 as a unit. Life had been lost, but a society had been created. They had persevered.

Melody sat thinking about this for a long time. She was so beyond proud at how well her little group adapted and accepted everything that was thrown their way. And she knew why they were able to do it, of course; _they were Apache. _

Melody had to have spent well over an hour just sitting by the fire and thinking. She either didn't notice that most of the other campers had begun to retire or she didn't care. Mel was content to sit by herself and watch the fire slowly burn out until there was nothing left of it except for the ashes. The flame had died down considerably when Melody heard the soft and light footsteps approaching her at a rapid pace.

She didn't have to turn around to know that it was Octavia who had joined her.

"Make a wish."

Melody looked up in confusion, but saw that Octavia's eyes were not on her. Instead, they were fixated on some point in the sky. Her eyes slowly swung in the general direction of the girl's gaze and Melody was surprised to see what looked like a shooting star. It was the first one she had ever seen; it was probably the first one anyone had ever seen. And it was beautiful.

"Wow." Mel said quietly while she watched the small, rapidly moving meteor burn as it passed through the earth's atmosphere. "We're supposed to wish on it?" Melody questioned, looking up at Octavia curiously.

Octavia nodded his head and turned his head so he could look down at her. "If you wish on a shooting star your wish is supposed to come true."

"Alright. Well, I wish for-" Melody was cut off in the middle of her sentence as a warm hand pressed itself against her mouth. She looked up at O with her eyebrows raised, not knowing what she had done wrong.

"You don't say it _out loud._" Octavia rolled his eyes at her. Apparently she should have already known that. "You think it. Otherwise the wish won't come true."

"Fine then." Melody pushed the hand away from her mouth and turned her attention back towards the shooting star. "I'll just…wait." Her eyes widened and Melody scrambled to her feet as quickly as possible. With narrowed eyes, she attempted to get a closer look at the flaming ball of space matter. Only it wasn't space matter…it was a space _ship._

"Bellamy, get out here!" Octavia was calling to her brother excitedly as the two girls stood there, staring up in wonder at the ship.

Bellamy came hurrying out of his tent to see what all of the fuss was about. Melody turned with excited eyes to tell him what they were seeing, but the words somehow got caught in her throat. Bellamy was approaching them quickly, shirtless and buttoning his pants as he walked. Two girls, a blonde and a brunette, sauntered out of the tent behind him, wrapped in nothing but blankets.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had been doing down in his tent.

"What is it?" He spoke to Octavia, but his eyes landed on Melody.

She turned away from him and continued to watch the ship's rapid approach. A parachute deployed and the ship began to slow down, but it was still going rather fast. Melody noticed how small the ship was, too. It couldn't have carried more than a handful of people at _best._ Guards, maybe? Supplies? She couldn't be sure.

An excited voice called out from across the camp. "It's an exodus ship!"

"They're coming to help us!" Another voice cheered.

"Now we can kick some grounder ass!"

People were suddenly starting to gather in the middle of camp as they all tried to get a better look at the ship. Everyone was hopeful and excited, but Melody had the strangest feeling in the pit of her gut. Shouldn't the entire population be coming down to earth before they all died from oxygen deprivation? If so, why was there only one ship? And why did it look so unstable?

"Please tell me they brought down some shampoo." One of the girls -the one with dark hair- said hopefully, pulling the edges of a blanket closer around her otherwise bare body.

The vicious words were out of Melody's mouth before she could think to stop them. "All the shampoo in the world couldn't wash away your sins, honey."

The hostility had seem to come from nowhere. Melody could not explain the anger that suddenly radiated off of her in waves. All she knew was that this newfound fury completely consumed her. And suddenly, Melody's serene aura suddenly shifted to one that was more dark and standoffish. The girl hadn't done anything to offend Mel. In fact, it had nothing to do with what she had done; it was _who_ she done.

"Excuse me?" The brunette girl -whose name was Amy or Annie or something of that nature- raised her eyebrows at Melody and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I didn't stutter." Melody said simply, the words barely more than a low growl. Her dark green eyes were alit with that familiar fire as she studied first this _Amy_ and then her blonde companion. Melody's expression was one of disgust and annoyance. "There are _kids_ in this camp. Have a bit of class."

Surprise lit up the brunette's face as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself and seemed to attempt to escape into it. Regret flickered through Melody, but only for a moment before she was once again feeling justified in her actions. Her words had been a bit harsh, yes, but they had conveyed the message clearly. There _were _some children in the camp although the majority of them were in their later teens. A few of the delinquents, however, were probably as young as Charlotte had been. Embarrassed or ashamed, _Amy_ scrambled away, presumably to find something decent to cover her assets.

The blonde girl wasn't as passive as her friend had been. With her head held high, she slithered towards Melody like the bitter little snake that she was. "You don't run things around here, _bitch._"

The crowd immediately began to whisper, the surprised and worried noises filling the air around the two girls. Some had watched her little fight with Murphy go down. Others had seen her merciless assault of the boy who had messed with Jasper. They could _all_ still see the yellow-ish bruise that lingered on her cheekbone from when Bellamy had accidentally lashed out on her when she'd tried to break up a fight. Word had gotten out about the brutal little redhead that was handing people their asses left and right.

""You know, screwing the King doesn't make you a queen. It makes you a _slut._" Retorted Melody.

Only a few feet separated Melody and the blonde female who, to no one's surprise, looked a bit nervous. _What a smart girl. _She was keeping herself just barely out of reach, but Melody was quick. She could close the distance between the two of them in just a matter of moments. Apparently she wasn't the only one that realized that, because Bellamy was soon putting himself between the two of the girls, his body turned slightly in Melody's direction as he gave her that _look_.

It wasn't going to work this time. Bellamy Blake could stand there in all of his shirtless glory and give her that kind look, but it was not going to work like it had in the past. His gentle eyes did nothing to calm her down; in fact, they only infuriated her further. It dawned on Melody that everything had been an _act._ He had figured out how to manipulate her and used it to his advantage. And now he was trying to do it again.

"Keep that damn look to yourself, Blake." Snapped out Melody, looking at him with disdain. "I feel no remorse."

"Are you just gonna let her talk to us like that, Bel?" Whined the blonde, looking up at him with anxious blue eyes.

The girl began to move forward, but Bellamy held his hand out to stop her from getting too close. His eyes remained locked on Melody's as that familiar, angry gleam lit up two pools of dark brown. He had _tried_ to be friendly, but that obviously hadn't worked. Melody's sharp tongue had him falling back into the same old pattern.

"Watch your mouth, Melody." Warned the boy as he stared her down. "Brittany, come here." Two fingers beckoned the girl forward and she practically ran in order to eagerly curl up against Bellamy's side.

Octavia was laughing quietly as she stood at Melody's side, watching the whole thing go down with a grin. Everyone was used to Bellamy's endless parade of girls. The majority of the girls in camp were just dying to get spend a night in his bed. As if that would somehow make them important. As if it would give them even an inkling of power. These two meant nothing to him; they were just a couple of warm bodies. Just like the rest of them.

"_Brittany _is the one who picked a fight with me." Melody pointed out, rolling her eyes. For once she wasn't even the instigator! At least not directly…

"You were being a bitch." The blonde insisted, scowling at Melody. "To Annie."

_So it __**was**__ Annie! _

"You're about one step away from seeing how big of a bitch I am." Melody warned the girl, taking a single threatening step forward. Melody was both delighted and appalled when the girl looked at her uncertainly and clung tighter to Bellamy.

"You wouldn't dare."

Melody laughed shortly, the sound void of humor. "I don't think you know who you're talking to."

Apparently Bellamy decided that it was time to intervene. And like expected, he was siding with his bed warmers. "Your comments aren't necessary, Melody." Bellamy scowled at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "I think you should apologize."

Mel crossed her arms over her chest as she debated what she should do about this situation. For a few moments her gaze locked onto Bellamy's and they stared at each other evenly. The thing Bellamy didn't realize was that Melody didn't apologize on someone else's terms. She barely even apologized on her own terms. Melody didn't want to back down, but she also didn't feel up to challenging Bellamy's authority today.

"Yes, _your majesty._" Melody said sarcastically, making a big deal of swooping down low to curtsy at his feet. When she straightened once more, Melody didn't even look at the blonde. She had eyes only for Bellamy. "I am _truly _sorry that you don't keep better company."

Apparently the apology wasn't good enough for him or the blonde. Melody found herself smiling at the laughter that suddenly erupted among the group. It wasn't loud or obnoxious; it was rather quiet and contained. No one wanted to be on the bad side of Bellamy, after all. And if looks could kill…

"Melody." Bellamy's voice came out as an angry, warning growl.

Melody made a big deal of sighing loudly and crossing her arms over her chest as she scowled in his direction. "I am truly sorry I offended your harlot." Melody began again. "But next time you won't be there to protect her when she runs her mouth." The underlying threat in her voice was hard to miss. "And I won't be so forgiving."

"You bitch!" The blonde practically hissed at Melody as she dove for her.

Melody reached out and shoved the blonde away from her. She didn't even want to touch her body with a ten-foot pole. The girl staggered back a few steps, falling to the ground as she attempted to clutch the blanket to her exposed body. The sigh of her laying there, desperately trying to claw at whatever shred of dignity she had left, rubbed Melody the wrong way. She was quickly approaching once more, but not in the same, threatening way as before. Just as she went to grab for the girl's hand, an all _too_ familiar hand wrapped itself around her wrist.

"Let go of me, Bellamy. I was just helping her up." Melody snapped out, trying to pull her hand out of his grip.

"Brittany, you've caused enough trouble for tonight." He snapped towards the blonde, although he still offered his hand to help her up. The girl was looking at Melody curiously as she climbed to her feet. Obviously because of the comment about Melody planned on helping her up.

"I'm sorry I called you a bitch." She muttered, somewhat reluctantly as she looked down at her feet. And then she was gone, hurrying away towards the tent that her friend had disappeared into minutes before. How _peculiar. _

Melody didn't bother dragging her feet as Bellamy began to lead her towards his tent, because she knew it would only make her look like even more of a petulant child. Instead, she gritted her teeth and followed after Bellamy as slowly as she could manage. It was humiliating to be treated like such a child _all the time._ To her surprise and relief, no one was laughing. The few who remained just watched with mild interest. The majority of them had gone back to their lives, though.

The tent was becoming familiar. Bellamy zipped the tent flap behind them in the same angry, jerky manner that he always did. Melody leaned back against a hand-made table and looked at him with a rather droll expression on her face.

"Why am I here, Blake?" Melody demanded, pretending to look at an imaginary watch on her wrist, as if she didn't have time for this shit. And she didn't.

"You can't just go around being an asshole all the time." Bellamy snapped, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he looked down at Melody.

"Oh, _I'm sorry._" Melody scowled at him and mimicked his actions, crossing her arms over her chest. "Forgive me for thinking that people should act appropriate."

"Annie did nothing to you. You could have just left her alone and gotten on with your night." Bellamy pointed out, his voice still sounding frustrated. Probably because he was _always_ having to scold Melody.

"You mean I could have left her alone and _you_ could have gotten on with _your_ night." Melody corrected, raising her eyebrows in a way that clearly told him she knew what she was talking about, so there was no point in trying to deny it.

"Damn it, Melody!" He cursed, running both hands through his dark hair. "Why are you always trying to piss people off? I get that you were trying to protect Jasper the other two times, but Annie didn't do _shit._" Bellamy exclaimed, letting his temper run wild.

"I don't try to piss people off, Bellamy. _They _piss _me_ off."

Bellamy ran a hand over his face in exasperation as he looked down at her. He looked like he was about to snap, and then suddenly a new light entered his eyes. It was mischievous and daring and it did funny things to her breathing pattern.

"Melody…are you _jealous_?"

"_Hell_ no!" The girl's reaction was immediate as she stared up at Bellamy, wondering if he had gone mad. "Why would I be jealous of those _sluts_?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're into me." Bellamy suggest, shrugging lazily as if it was the furthest thing from his mind.

"Get _over_ yourself, Bellamy. I'm not pissed off at those girls. I'm pissed at you and they're just guilty by association."

It was true. Annie and Brittany were not the source of Melody's anger. They had just been unlucky enough to have presented her with an opportunity to take it out on them. Melody's real source of anger was staring down at her with a confused look in his eyes.

"_Me_?" Bellamy was now the one with the exasperated expression on his face. "Sweetheart, I didn't do shit to piss you off. Last I knew, we were on good terms."

"Oh, you mean _five minutes_ before you were all over those girls?" Asked Melody. She narrowed her green eyes accusingly and raised he chin slightly; a sign that she was pissed off and not willing to back down.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Demanded Bellamy. "It's not like I was getting anywhere with you."

Melody's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed into a glare at Bellamy's words. She didn't find his little comment funny in the slightest. The two of them had been having a moment, that was true, but it was innocent. And now, Melody realized that it was all a sham. He had obviously not been as affected by Charlotte's death as he let on. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone straight from grieving to grinding.

"So that's it, huh?" Asked Melody. "You were pretending to grieve over Charlotte to 'get somewhere' with me?" There was no hiding the disgust in her voice.

"That was a _joke_, Melody."

"Answer the damn question."

"No!" Bellamy shouted, throwing his hands up. "Not everyone bottles their feelings up inside, Melody. Some people take action."

The words puzzled Melody for a few moments. _Not everyone bottles their feelings up inside. _She did. Why couldn't he? _Some people take action. _Take action…it was then that the meaning of his words dawned on her.

"Are you saying that you used those girls to forget about Charlotte?" Melody asked, not sure if she was more horrified at him for doing it, or at herself for making it into such a big spectacle.

"Time wasted, now." Bellamy muttered, and Melody saw the same shameful look in his eyes that had been their when they were talking earlier.

Well wasn't this just twisted?

"You're a pig!" Without thinking, Melody lashed out and slapped her hand against Bellamy's bare chest.

He looked down in surprise at her small hand resting right on top of his heart. Melody hadn't slapped him _hard._ But Bellamy's eyes darkened and he reached down to grab her hand. With one sharp tug, Melody was pressed flush against his chest. Their eyes met and hers held a playful gleam.

"I'm a _man_." Bellamy said slowly. "It sort of comes with the territory."

Melody rolled her eyes and went to step back. Bellamy's other hand came down and clutched at the small of her back, holding her against him. Mel was worried for a moment, until she saw the huge grin on Bellamy's face as he looked down at her. Puzzled, she stared up at him with a slight scowl on her face. Bellamy made no movement to let her go, obviously pleased by his ability to easily manhandle the smaller girl. _That _was no surprise. He'd been doing it ever since she had met him; literally.

"Bellamy, let go."

"Make me." He said simply, giving her an impish grin.

"Are you kidding right now? I am pissed at you and in no mood to play games." Melody said, in the most serious voice she could manage. The truth was quite the opposite, actually. She enjoyed this new, playful side of Bellamy. It was oddly…thrilling.

"Then stop being pissed." He suggested, shrugging one shoulder casually. "Most women like being this close to me."

Melody realized then just how close to him she was. Close enough, in fact, to feel the heat radiating off of his body. It was warm…really warm. And he smelled good, too. Melody didn't know _how _considering they didn't even have soap down here. But he did smell good; like leather and grass. She _really_ liked grass…

Wait, what was she thinking? Once again Bellamy was able to easily manipulate her. He had been trying to trick her into forgetting about all of the shit that had went down tonight. About their heart-to-heart, the little confrontation with Brittany, and the fact that he had run straight into the arms of those two girls after he and Melody had finished talking. For some reason, that last one pissed her off the most.

Melody didn't hesitate before she brought her mouth down to his chest and sunk her teeth into the flesh there. It wasn't just a little nip, either. Melody could taste _blood_ as her little teeth punctured his skin. As expected, Bellamy cursed loudly and pushed Melody away from him. He stared down at his chest in surprise for a moment before looking at her. Melody found herself delighted that she had managed to one-up him.

"Go to sleep." Melody commanded, laughing softly as she walked backwards towards the exit to his tent. "First thing tomorrow I plan on going out and finding that ship.

As she departed, Melody could have sworn she saw something akin to panic flash in his eyes just moments before she closed the door behind her.

**Enjoy this little filler chapter! The next chapter will introduce our lovely little bird. And shit is about to hit the fan between a certain -sexually frustrated but in denial- couple. Stay tuned!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven **

"What do you mean he _left_?" Melody stared unblinkingly at Clarke, trying to process her words.

_Bellamy left camp to find the pod._

Melody had left their fearless leader's tent with a smile on her face, satisfied that she had finally managed to one-up Bellamy Blake. Things between the two of them had been rocky for a long time. Melody was always trying to assert her independence while Bellamy was always trying to declare his authority. They had fallen into sort of a pattern. Melody would act out and Bellamy would reprimand her. But not tonight; tonight she had done the reprimanding for a change. And, as expected, she'd added her own little flare to the whole ordeal; a flare that would leave a nasty little mark in the morning.

_That_ would give him something to think about.

Perhaps Bellamy would finally realize that Melody wasn't just another one of his soldiers. She wasn't his to scold. Perhaps her antics had been a _bit_ childish. Or perhaps she had given Bellamy the eye-opener that he needed. When she said _let go_, she meant it. Melody Pond would not be pushed around by the likes of a glorified bully such as Bellamy Blake. Not even if she _was _starting to warm up to him.

After she'd left Bellamy's tent the night had been rather uneventful. Most of the campers had gotten word that they wouldn't be leaving until sunrise. Assuming that would be the case, Melody had crawled into a neighboring tent to inform -and check on- Monty and Jasper. Upon Jasper's recovery the two boys had been issued a tent considering they no longer had an excuse to stay in the dropship. There wasn't enough room for three in the small tent, which was why Octavia had graciously insisted that Melody bunk with her.

After a short visit with the boys, Melody had crossed the short distance to her own tent. Octavia was nowhere to be found -which wasn't unusual- so Melody had kicked off her boots, shed the majority of her regular clothing, and crawled into her warm and welcoming bed. She couldn't have been asleep for more than fifteen or twenty minutes when Clarke was shaking her awake. Once again, they had a crisis to handle.

"Bellamy left camp." Repeated Clarke, staring down at Melody with both arms wrapped tightly around her chest. "To find the cargo pod that crashed."

Melody's mind was racing as she pulled herself into a sitting position, fighting off the wave of drowsiness that threatened to consume her. They couldn't even have _one_ night to themselves. It was always one thing right after another. Melody was tired; physically _and_ emotionally.

"Why?" She wondered, trying and failing to bite back a yawn. "He said we shouldn't leave until morning. That it was too dangerous."

"We think he's after the radio system that would allow us to communicate with the Ark." Clarke explained quickly, beginning to pace around the enclosed space. "We need to get to it before he does."

Melody was no rocket scientist, but it didn't take her very long to figure out why they needed to be the ones to reach the pod first. "You think he'll destroy it." Mel said softly, her words hovering somewhere between a question and a statement.

It made sense. Bellamy had been against making contact with the Ark since the beginning. That was why he had removed the peoples' wristbands. It was why he had made such a big deal of convincing the other campers that they could survive on their own. He had made them think that the Ark had turned their backs on them; which, Melody had to admit, they essentially _had. _And now, it was why he had gone out of his way to reach the crashed ship before the rest of them.

He was trying to make the Ark think they were dead.

"_Clarke._" Urged Melody, growing slightly anxious when the girl didn't respond. "Is he going to destroy the radio?" She already knew the answer, but she needed Clarke to say it; that would make it concrete.

"Yes." Clarke nodded as she briefly paused in her pacing to look down at Melody. "Finn and I are heading out. Are you in or not?" She demanded, not bothering to hide her impatience.

Melody didn't take it personally. When it came to contacting the Ark, she and Clarke were on the same page. They both had people they cared about on that space station. They both had their _mothers _up there_._ Neither one of them could stomach the thought of innocent people dying. And that was exactly what would happen if they didn't let the Ark know that Earth was survivable.

"Definitely." Mel assured the restless girl as she stood up quickly -but unsteadily- and began to gather the items she would need.

"Finn's already packing up some supplies for us to take." Clarke informed her, hesitating near the doorway. "He'll probably need help…"

"Go help him." Melody insisted, waving her hand as she hurriedly snaked a belt around her waist and tightened it appropriately. "I'll only be a few minutes."

It was obvious that Clarke would rather be panicking with Finn than with her. Once again, Melody didn't take it personally. She of all people knew that everybody needed somebody. And Finn was Clarke's somebody.

The blonde seemed relieved as she stood with one foot already out the door. "Alright. As soon as you're dressed we'll head out." And with that, she made her escape.

Melody was once again alone in her tent; alone with her thoughts. Thoughts which were very conflicting as of late. She had done her best to give Bellamy Blake the benefit of the doubt. But it seemed that every time Melody was starting to warm up to him, Bellamy went and pulled a stunt that made her want to throttle him. First, he'd forcibly removed her wristband. And then he had threatened to kill Jasper. Days later he had announced that he knew her secret. And then just days after _that_, he'd tried to hang Murphy. Last night he'd shacked up with Thing One and Thing Two. And now, he was trying to destroy their lifeline to the Ark.

Melody hardly had time to catch her breath before there was a new issue being forced down her throat.

Sitting down on her bed, Melody pulled her combat boots closer and began to slide them onto her feet. As she did up the laces, Mel tried to think positively. "We can beat him to it." She assured herself softly. "We can save the Ark."

She wouldn't allow herself to think differently.

Melody exited the tent as soon as she had properly dressed and armed herself. With the grounders lurking about, no one could be cautious enough. All she had was a knife, but it was enough to defend herself. Unless, of course, the grounders tried to spear her…In which case, she was pretty much screwed.

Clarke and Finn were waiting for her near the gate. Their gazes hardened immediately upon seeing Melody. She jogged the rest of the way to them, taking the backpack that Finn held out for her. Melody strapped on the bag -seeing as how it was primarily made out of a seat belt from the dropship, courtesy of Wells' brilliant mind- and put on her game face.

"I'm ready." She announced, looking between the two of them. "We should head out. He's already gotten enough of a head start."

Neither one of them disagreed with her. Every minute they wasted was another minute that put Bellamy closer to finding the radio. And with Monty's wristbands fried, that radio was their last connection to the Ark.

It was still dark when they set out, but dawn was rapidly approaching. The pace at which they began was more than brisk. There was no room for leisure. If you slowed down, you were left behind. The three of them were in a race against time. Or rather, a race against Bellamy. And the odds were against them.

The sun was just beginning to come up when the strain on her body began to effect Melody. She was rather fit, but no one could attempt such a quest without breaking a sweat. Their strides hadn't slowed any in the last half hour and they had long ago fallen silent as they willed their bodies to continue forward.

Melody's chest was heaving and her legs were throbbing in protest. Her breath was coming in short pants, because anything more made her lungs feel as if they were on fire. Suddenly it was all her legs could do to carry her weight. It wasn't long before the cramps would start; she knew the signs of muscle fatigue. In short, she felt like one walking -or rather running- _ache. _There wasn't a part of Melody that didn't feel the extent of her overexertion.

With the pain came a feeling of exuberance that Melody both adored and detested. She had never felt more alive nor closer to death. In a way, the pain woke her up. It made her more aware of_ herself. _Melody could count each ragged breath and feel every thunderous beat of her heart in the very depths of her soul. In another way, the pain shut her down. Melody wanted nothing more than to just crumple in a heap on the ground. She could hardly focus on anything other than the pain and what it was doing to her body.

Still, she forced herself to continue.

They had been triumphant from the very beginning. First, they had survived the landing. That in itself was a miracle. Then, they had found Mount Weather. And although they hadn't actually managed to get _inside_ the shelter, they had still located it. Clarke had brought Jasper back from the brink of death. Melody had gotten in a fight with Murphy and _won._ Finn had gotten the girl, not that there was much competition. They had come too far to give up now.

"Should we split up?" When Clarke voiced her question aloud she sounded just as breathless as Melody felt.

"Yeah." Finn agreed, not pausing as he looked at the two of them. It was impressive, considering the fact that he managed to somehow not lose his footing. "You guys go left. I'll go right. We'll meet at the bottom."

Melody and Clarke nodded their agreement and veered off towards the left. They head been running steadily downhill for a while now. It was easier than anything else, but it required more attention. One wrong move and they would go tumbling down the hill. And that was the last thing any of them needed at the moment.

"Are you sure this is where it landed?" Panted Melody, turning her attention towards Clarke for just a moment.

The blonde gave a curt nod as she picked up her pace slightly. "Positive. We saw it come down." Melody had no reason not to believe Clarke, so she nodded her head once and kept her eyes peeled.

_I really need to start doing laps around camp or something. This is crazy. _Melody thought to herself. _Kudos to people who do this shit for fun. _

That last thought had barely crossed her mind when they came to a clearing. The incline stopped so abruptly that Melody stumbled slightly and nearly lost her footing. Luckily, Clarke was there to grip her shoulder and straighten her out. Clarke seemed to _always_ be there to "straighten her out."

They had stopped for now, so Melody immediately took advantage of the fact. Bracing her palms on her thighs, Melody bent over and struggled to catch her breath. If this was what being in shape felt like, she would gladly refrain. Then again, if she was having this much trouble running for such a short amount of time, she would never be able to outrun a grounder. Melody really needed to beef up a bit.

"Clarke, leave me for grounder bait." Melody dropped to her knees dramatically, head bowed as she finally gave in to her aching body's wishes.

Melody didn't have to be watching Clarke to know the girl was rolling her eyes. "Melody stop with the theatrics. It can't be…whoa."

After a few beats, Melody looked up at Clarke with a confused expression on her face. The girl was staring across the clearing with wide eyes and a delighted smile. Melody slowly dragged her gaze in that direction and immediately gasped as her eyes took in the crashed cargo pod.

They'd found it.

Melody had barely climbed to her feet in the time it took Clarke to reach the pod. Protectiveness surged throughout Melody as she jogged across the clearing and to Clarke's side. The unknown person from the Ark could be friend or foe. There was only _one_ pod, which had made Melody suspicious from the beginning. And curbing her inner mother hen was not in the best interest of anyone as far as she was concerned. Melody was the only one -maybe aside from Bellamy- who was willing to get shit done. Clarke was too trusting. She would greet an armed guardsmen with open arms. And then take a bullet in the head if they weren't careful.

After all, Bellamy had impersonated a member of the guard; how hard could it really be?

As expected, Clarke immediately forced her way into the pod. Melody waited outside, anxiously leaning against the metal contraption. When Clarke called out to her that everything was fine, Melody relaxed slightly and leaned back against the ship, arms crossed over her chest as she waited for whoever was inside to come out and join the living.

It wasn't long until the girl did manage to make her way out. Melody immediately realized that she wasn't an immediate threat. In fact, she was just like the rest of them. The girl couldn't have been older than Melody and Clarke. She had raven-colored hair and tanned skin and the most beautiful smile on her face. Like the rest of them, she was in awe at the world they were now a part of.

Melody flashed her a grin immediately, and waggled her fingers in a wave. "Welcome home." She greeted the already grinning girl, as she took her first steps on Earth.

"I dreamed it would smell like this." Whispered the girl.

She stepped shakily into the center of the field. Arms outstretched, she turned in a slow circle as she just breathed in the lovely scent that was Earth. That was when the droplets started to fall from the sky. It was just a light mist, but it caused the girl's eyes to widen in pure delight.

"Is this rain?" She demanded, looking eagerly between Melody and Clarke.

Clarke nodded, a grin on her face as well. "Welcome home." She echoed Melody's earlier words, watching the girl happily.

They were all so wrapped up in the girl's first experience with Earth that none of them saw Finn appear at the other side of the clearing. It wasn't until he was running at them that Melody and Clarke looked up. Just when Melody was about to call out to him, _he_ shouted out to _her_.

"Raven!"

There was no denying the amazement and affection in Finn's voice. The girl turned her head to the side and her eyes seemed to widen slightly. The grin on Finn's face was bigger than any Melody had seen as he ran towards them. Only the grin wasn't for _them_; it was for _her._

"Finn!" Cried the girl as she launched herself at the male.

Understanding seemed to dawn on Melody and Clarke at the same time. Finn and Raven stood there, embracing each other longingly, and Melody realized that they had known each other before Earth. And from the look of things, they had known each other _quite well. _

Her suspicions were confirmed when Raven wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and pulled him down to her. Their lips met and Melody could practically feel Clarke tense. She shifted towards Clarke suddenly, wanting to reach out and make sure the girl was okay. But Melody couldn't bring herself to do so; this wasn't something she really understood.

Melody was quickly growing impatient with the reunited couple. The look on Clarke's face made Melody want to reach out and strangle Finn. She was working on controlling her temper, though, so she just stayed silent and watched the two as they had their little reunion. They were clearly not bothered by the fact that Clarke seemed to be crumbling more and more with each passing second. Perhaps they couldn't see it, but Melody could. Clarke tried to put on a brave face, like always, but Melody knew that the other girl was hurting. She had seen the way Clarke was with Finn. The way _he_ was with _her._

Suddenly, she wished it had been anyone else on that ship.

"How did you get here?" Finn asked, when they finally broke apart. His eyes darted anxiously between Raven and the two girls who were watching her with discomfort.

"You know that big scrap hold, the one on K deck?" Chirped Raven, obviously oblivious to the tension she had brought upon their little group.

"You built that from scrap?"

"I kind of rebuilt it. Please. Like that's hard. It just needed a couple parts and some love." Insisted Raven, beaming at him.

Finn's reply was soft and loving. "You're insane."

"I'd do more for you and worse. Just like you would for me."

That was when Finn began to look uncomfortable. He looked between the three girls once again before urging Raven to sit down. His jacket was quickly wrapped around her shoulders, and Raven looked as content as a pig in mud. When Finn jogged over towards them, Melody greeted him with a pointed stare.

"I'm sorry." His words were directed at Clarke, but his eyes were locked on Melody's. At least he had the decency to look sheepish.

"Let's not talk about this." Clare said shortly.

"We've known each other our whole lives…" Explained Finn, before he was cut off.

"She _said_ she doesn't want to talk about it." Melody insisted, frowning at him as the three of them walked towards Raven.

Finn didn't argue with her. He simply looked between the two of them uneasily as she bent beside Raven and handed her a rag, which she pressed against her head at Clarke's urging.

"This is Clarke." Finn said, pointing to the blonde doctor. "And Melody." He continued, gesturing towards the stoic redhead. "They were on the dropship, too."

Clarke's name alone caused Raven to immediately perk up.

"Clarke?" She questioned eagerly. "This is all because of your mom."

"My mom?" Clarke sounded confused.

"This was her plan!" Explained Raven eagerly. "We were trying to come down here together. If we had waited…oh my god." Raven trailed off and only continued once they had all given her a curious look. "We couldn't wait because the council is voting on whether or not to kill 300 people to save air."

"When?"

"Today! We have to tell them you're alive."

The three of them hurried back towards the cargo pod. Melody's heart soared at the thought of finally making contact with the Ark. This was it. They were going to save all of those people. No one had to die because they had done it. Earth was inhabitable.

Raven reached the pod first and began to search the controls. After a few moments she paused and then cursed. "The radio's gone. It must have gotten loose during re-entry." She cursed some more, shaking her head angrily.

"No, this is my fault.' Clarke insisted, shaking her head. "Someone else got here before us."

"Bellamy." Melody said softly, pressing one hand against her forehead in exasperation. "Damn it!" She kicked at the ground, sending up a loose patch of dirt.

Clarke sighed and nodded her head. "We have to find him."

"Shouldn't be too hard. Let's just follow the stench of treachery." Muttered Melody.

It took no more urging from Clarke. They all began to trot back up the hill just as quickly as they had come down it. Only this time, there wasn't room for physical pain. The only pain that Melody felt was emotional. Her heart ached for all of those people that would die because of Bellamy's selfish actions. Three _hundred_ innocent lives would be lost for no reason. Earth was inhabitable. If only they could reach the Ark…

_Mom. _

The thought tore through Melody's chest like a knife. If she knew anything about how the world worked, it was that you cut out the weakest links. Melody's mother -and their whole station- lived in poverty. They were the Factory Station. They made the goods that the rest of the Ark needed. There was an abundance of them, because the Ark _always_ needed new supplies. Three Hundred Factory Level workers was _nothing._ They were the most disposable out of anyone. Which meant that they would be the first to go.

This was no longer a matter of right and wrong. This was _personal._ By taking that radio, Bellamy had practically condemned her mother to death. It was almost the same as if he pushed the button himself. And if Melody was anything, she was protective. She didn't tolerate those she loved being put in harms' way. And Grace Pond was practically being delivered to Death's door with a shiny, red bow taped to her head.

"Hey!"

It was Clarke who saw Bellamy first. He was strolling along casually, not even bothering to stop when he looked back and saw them all. This only made Clarke run towards him faster, eager to confront him and find the radio. Melody wasn't very far behind her.

"… And I can guarantee you it won't be council members. It'll be working people. Your people!" Clarke enunciated her words with a finger shoved roughly into his chest.

Melody had known that Bellamy was from one of the working stations, but she wasn't sure which one. She'd never seen him before, so she had to assume that he was from Mecha. Bellamy had the look of someone from Mecha; tanned skin, dark hair and eyes, a muscled body that was used to hard work. Whereas Melody looked like someone from Factory; light-skinned, auburn hair with green eyes, and a body that had never known anything harder than working an assembly line.

"_Our _people." Melody amended, glaring up at Bellamy. Factory or Mecha, they were both part of the working class. Or they _had_ been. And it was their people that would be suffering if he didn't hand over Raven's radio.

Bellamy's dark brown eyes glared daggers at the two girls. He crossed his arms over his chest firmly as he glared down at them. "I don't know what you're talking about." Bellamy huffed softly, as if annoyed by their mere presence.

When Melody looked up at him, she didn't see the same body that she'd spent the previous night with. She didn't see those gentle, kind eyes that had soothed her when Charlotte's death had been weighing on her conscious. His words no longer had that playful and daring edge that she had come to depend on. This wasn't _her_ Bellamy; this wasn't the boy she had come to tolerate and respect over the last few days.

This was the side of Bellamy that made Melody shake with anger. This was the power-hungry, self-serving jackass.

Fueled by her anger, Melody reached out and shoved Bellamy with all of her might. The boy stumbled back a few steps and continued to glare at her. "You _do_ know, Bellamy. You took the radio and now innocent people are going to die because of you."

Bellamy only seemed to grow angrier as he stared down at both Melody and Clarke. "I didn't take any radio." He insisted, continuing to deny the accusations that they both knew to be true.

"Yes you did." Melody snapped. That feeling of helplessness and desperation had come over her once again and she was looking up at him with an almost pleading look on her face. "We need that radio if we're going to save any of them."

"Bellamy." Interjected Clarke as she stepped closer to him. "We just want the radio. No one needs to die over this."

Her words only seemed to piss Bellamy off further. He stepped towards the girl menacingly, easily towering over her as he practically growled out his next set of words. "It's not my problem."

The words were cruel. And they were words that he could never take back, even if he lived for another hundred years. _It's not my problem. _He was condemning innocent people to death with absolutely no remorse. Those few heartless words unleashed something inside of Melody. She lunged for Bellamy once more, beating on his chest with her small fists.

"You _animal._" Melody shouted, throwing herself against his chest time and time again. "My people are going to die because of you!"

_My mother is going to die because of you. _

Bellamy easily caught her small body and held it against his as he glared down at her. Melody's arms were pinned between their bodies, which was the only reason she had stopped her angry assault. There was nothing she could do but stare at him unwaveringly. Their gazes clashed and engaged in an unspoken battle for dominance. Melody refused to look away first. So did Bellamy. And they were caught in a stalemate until Clarke spoke again.

"We can't let all of those people die, Bellamy." Clarke spoke softly in her calm, lulling voice that had calmed Melody a time or two before when she had gone off into one of her moods. This time, it did nothing to ease her mind or body. "Just tell us where the radio is."

"And then what, Clarke?" Demanded Bellamy, as he glared between the two of them. His grip on Melody tightened slightly in his anger, causing her to grind her teeth. "The Ark comes down and things go back to how they were before?"

"Who cares?" Snapped Melody, clearly exasperated. "We don't get to choose who lives or dies, Bellamy. You're making a conscious choice to murder those people."

Melody immediately realized that she had made a mistake.

Bellamy's gaze darkened in that sinister way that chilled Melody to the bone. When he got that look in his eyes, it let her know she should treat lightly. The only other times she had seen that look was when he brought up _Jason._ He'd only done so twice; when he had revealed that he knew of her crimes and then another time, when the two of them were fighting and he wanted her to shut up.

"Sounds like someone else I know." His voice was low and threatening as he gave Melody a rather pointed look.

The words were low and threatening. Melody's mouth snapped shut and her eyes darted nervously between a confused Clarke and an angry Bellamy. She turned her pleading gaze -oh, how she hated to beg him- towards Bellamy. They didn't need to exchange any words. They both knew exactly what message Melody's eyes were trying to convey.

_You promised._

Clarke, however, was not keyed into their silent exchange. "What's he talking about Mel?" Wondered the girl as she looked between the two of them curiously. "Who else does he know that would do something this awful?"

"Yeah, _Mel._" The pet name was mocking and cruel when Bellamy used it in such a manner. It caused Melody's stomach to churn unpleasantly. "Tell her who I know that would be okay with _murder._"

Melody's heart sank with every word. A nearly inaudible sob wracked her chest, causing the small girl to shake with pent-up fear. Fear of what? Rejection, mainly. Melody had spent the last few weeks on Earth doing her best to form relationships with her minimal number of friends. That alone was a big step for Melody, considering how much she hated letting anyone worm their way into her heart. She had gone out on a limb and asked for acceptance and friendship; they had given it to her. And now, Bellamy was going to ruin everything she had worked for.

"Bellamy." Melody said softly, her voice cracking. "Please don't do this."

"Do _what_?" Demanded Clarke, suddenly sounding so angry and impatient that it made Melody cringe into Bellamy's chest. "What the hell am I missing here?"

Of the two evils, Bellamy was the lesser. He was, after all, just the messenger. Nobody shot the messenger. It was Clarke -along with Finn, Octavia, Monty, and Jasper- that Melody was truly worried about. Bellamy had already made his opinion of Melody clear; he thought she was a murderer. Clarke hadn't pieced it together yet. She had no reaction, no opinion. _Not knowing_ was killing Melody.

"Go on, Melody. Tell her." Bellamy urged, pushing Melody away from him gently. _Too _gently considering the fact that he was about to single-handedly destroy everything she had built over the last few weeks.

"Bellamy, _stop_." Melody pleaded, shaking her head as tears began to form in her eyes. She blinked them back angrily. "You don't have to do this." Melody insisted, quoting the oldest line in the book.

"Do _what_?" Clarke's angry voice continued to raise each time she asked the question. The blonde, as smart as she was, hadn't figured out what Bellamy was hinting at.

So, Bellamy took it upon himself to clue Clarke in.

"Our lovely Melody has been lying to us." Bellamy said loudly, as if speaking to an audience rather than a single girl, before he crossed his arms over his chest. "She isn't some poor, defenseless girl that got sent to the Sky Box for unjustified reasons."

"No. _Bellamy._" Melody moved forward, but he shoved her back.

He hadn't pushed her hard, but Melody still stumbled back a few steps and fell flat on her back. Her eyes were wide and full of pain as she sat up and looked at him, shaking her head silently. Not pain from the fall; the pain of his betrayal. For a moment, Melody thought she saw his gaze soften. But then the dark, sinister side of Bellamy was once again in place as she looked at Clarke.

"She's a murderer, Clarke." Announced Bellamy, his voice void of any emotion. "When she was thirteen years old she killed the Ark's head doctor in cold blood."

_No. _

It was as if her whole world had come crashing down around her. Melody shrunk back within herself, waiting for Clarke's reaction. Clarke, however, just stood there silently. Her eyes were wide and trained on Bellamy's face, as if she couldn't drag them away. Her lower lip trembled for a moment and she crossed her arms tightly over herself.

"You're lying."

Oh, sweet Clarke. She was trying to stick up for Melody. No one could imagine the fiercely protective and sweet girl killing someone. No matter how rough around the edges she was. Clarke was fully prepared to stand up to Bellamy and deny his every word. But this time, Bellamy was right.

"No, _she's_ the liar." Bellamy pointed his finger at Melody accusingly. "So, tell me, sweetheart. What's the difference between me killing all of these people and you killing that one? The fact that I'm not holding the scalpel to their throats personally?"

Melody was slowly shaking her head as tears rolled down her face. She shakily climbed to her feet, wanting to explain. Wanting to apologize and make things right between her and Clarke. But she knew that things would never be the same again.

"Clarke…" Melody said softly, looking at the girl with wide eyes.

Clarke's gaze met Melody's and it was filled with everything Melody had never wanted the girl to feel. Horror. Anger. Confusion. Repulsion. Each moment that Clarke's stare lingered on Melody, the redhead took another step backwards. The reality of Clarke's rejection hurt so much more than Melody would have ever dreamed. It was like someone had stabbed her with a knife and was slowly pushing it deeper and deeper into her body. Each second brought more pain.

"Melody?" Clarke whispered her name, and her voice was full of all the emotions Melody had read in the depths of her ocean blue eyes. And that horrified gaze struck every nerve in Melody's body. "Is it true?"

"Yes." Breathed Melody, knowing that there was no sense in denying anything. "When I was thirteen years old I killed a man…in cold blood." Melody hesitated before adding the last part. _In cold blood_ meant that one felt no remorse. And she hadn't felt anything but relief in the moments after Jason's death. _Now_ she felt the guilt, but then…there had only been relief.

"You…you lied to me." Clarke whispered, feeling betrayed. "You pretended to be my _friend._"

The words cut Melody deeper than they should have. Mainly because she hadn't _pretended_ anything. Clarke just didn't understand…and Melody was too ashamed of her motive behind the killing to even try to explain.

"No, Clarke. I _am_ your friend." Melody insisted, stepping forward cautiously.

"_No!_" Shouted Clarke, shaking her head angrily. "I can't be friends with a murderer, Melody. You're no better than _them._"

It was obvious that the "them" Clarke was referring to was the Council. Once again Melody felt something akin to the feeling of a blade being dragged across her skin as Clarke's words hit home. Hadn't she been trying to prove to herself that she wasn't like them? Hadn't she spent every waking moment trying to separate herself from those on the Ark. Melody cared about what happened on Earth; she cared about who lived and died. She'd been saying that from the beginning…hadn't she?

_You would have killed Murphy. _A small voice reminded her, in the back of her head. _You wouldn't have blinked. Maybe you __**are**__ like the council._

Shaking her head once more, Melody began to back away from Bellamy and Clarke. Somehow, she didn't think _I'm sorry_ would cover it. There was a desperate part of Melody that wanted to explain to Clarke why she had done it. But the girl wouldn't understand; _none _of them would understand. There was nothing Melody could do now; the damage was already done.

Bellamy was suddenly reaching out to her, his eyes considerably softer and slightly regretful as he saw the effect his words had. "Sweetheart."

"No." Melody's voice was like a thousand knives piercing him. "Stay away from me, Bellamy. You bring me nothing but pain." She whispered, continuing to back away from him.

"No, Melody…we're friends." Bellamy reminded her earnestly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." As sincere as he sounded, there was nothing that could change what had already been done.

"Sorry can't fix everything." Melody whispered, raising her chin slightly although her lower lip trembled. "Sorry means _shit_ coming from your mouth."

She continued to back up a few paces, looking between the two of them as she did so. Bellamy looked ashamed of himself, as he should. And Clarke looked sort of…torn. But nothing they were feeling could compare to the self-loathing that radiated from every pore in Melody's body. It seemed that no matter what she did, there was no way to escape her past. A million emotions flooded throughout her body; hurt, guilt, anger, shame. She had never hated anyone as much as she currently hated herself.

And she vowed never again to allow herself to be so _stupid_ as to put her faith in the likes of Bellamy Blake.

**I told you shit would hit the fan. And it will continue to hit the fan in the next chapter…What's a good fan fiction without a little bit of drama? Let me know what you thought in the reviews :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_I can't be friends with a murderer, Melody._

The words rattled around in Melody's mind, quiet at first but eventually morphing into a steady roar that drowned out everything else. Out of all the wounding words that had been spoken, Clarke's were the ones that had struck her the deepest and they were the ones permanently seared into Melody's memory.

_You're no better than __**them.**_

Deep within the margins of her mind the words lashed out and struck Melody like a knife, over and over again. She was used to the lasting effect words could have on her mind. She was used to the gut-wrenching feeling of betrayal. It seemed that Melody's weakest defense had always been her own mind. Physical attacks she could take. _Emotional _attacks were a whole other story. They were the ones that left lasting damage; the kind of wounds Band-Aids couldn't fix.

Upon returning to the dropship Melody had locked herself in the upper level and refused any attempt made to comfort her. Despite the relentless pleas from Jasper and Monty, Melody remained curled up on the furthest side of the dropship, bent at the waist with her head resting on her knees. A metal rod was shoved between the hatch and the handles on either side, locking it firmly into place.

The situation gave Melody the oddest sense of Déjà vu. Little over a week ago she had been in the same position. She'd locked herself in the upper level and was praying for Jasper's safe recovery. Then, she had sought out the comfort that Monty and Octavia had offered. Now, she was praying for her own recovery and rejecting any and all attempts made by her friends in an effort to console her.

A lot could change in a matter of days.

Melody was finding that a lot could change in a matter of _hours._ It had taken her weeks to build this new life on Earth. Weeks to earn respect and form friendships amid their group of lawbreakers and wrongdoers. Weeks to form an unsteady -and now broken- alliance with Bellamy Blake. And it had taken her weeks to finally find her place in this crazy mess; to finally feel like she _belonged._

And in the blink of an eye it was all gone.

Ties severed, friends lost, and what seemed to be irreversible damage done. Melody wanted to feel angry about the whole situation, but all she felt was the biting blade of a double-edged sword. Part of her was devastated that her dirty secret was now public knowledge. At the same time, another part of Melody was almost relieved that Bellamy had voiced her crimes aloud. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. No longer did she carry the burden of hiding Jason's death. Now, only the guilt remained.

The betrayal hadn't come as a shock to Melody. Everyone knew that Bellamy watched out for himself and only himself. And if that meant ruining someone else in the process, it was a price he was willing to pay. What had surprised her was his weak attempt at an apology. As if the words 'I'm sorry' could magically make everything vanish. It was funny how those words meant less and less the more they were spoken.

Somehow something that Bellamy said managed to infiltrate Melody's mind despite the fact that it was currently filled to capacity with other spiteful words and hateful comments. His question only added to the chaos that was raging inside her head.

_What's the difference between me killing all of these people and you killing that one?_ _The fact that I'm not holding the scalpel to their throats personally?_

There were many differences including the one Bellamy had mentioned. The first being that it was _hundreds_ of people versus Melody's one. That didn't make what she had done excusable, but she hadn't sentenced _300 people_ to death for purely selfish reasons. The second reason was the fact that those 300 people were innocent whereas Jason Evans had not been. If only Bellamy knew the reasons behind Melody's actions…but he didn't. And if she had it her way, he never would.

"_Melody!_" Accompanying the shout was a loud knocking sound as someone beat their fist against the metal hatch.

It took a few moments for the words to pierce through the hazy veil of thoughts that clouded Melody's mind. And then it took a few more for her to finally blink out of the trance-like state that she'd been in. Melody's jaw clenched as she heard Jasper continue to pound away at the metal separating the two of them. Didn't he know how to take a hint?

"Melody, I know you're up there!" Jasper shouted, relentlessly banging on the small door. "There's no point in trying to shut me out."

An exasperated huff escaped from between Melody's lips as she stared in the direction of all the noise. _She _was the one that was supposed to provide comfort, not the one who needed it. Melody was the one who was supposed to shield them from all the evil in the world. It was her job to protect them and to give them hope.

It was funny how when the roles were reversed it upset Melody to have someone looking out for her instead of the other way around.

"Go away, Jasper." Melody shouted back. Her voice was hoarse and cracked slightly as a result of the crying she'd done over the last few hours.

_Wait, hours? _

Melody looked out the small window in the upper level and frowned when she saw only darkness. Dusk was quickly approaching which meant that she had been locked away in the dropship for much longer than she had realized.

"Melody, let me in." Demanded Jasper. All of the racket he continued to make was beginning to give Melody a headache. "I'm not going to go away."

Melody knew that Jasper was telling the truth. The boy was rather persistent and even a bit stubborn when he wanted something. That was one of the many things Melody liked about him. But in this instance, she wished that he would just do as he was told and not put up a fight. Melody just couldn't take any more confrontation today. Her mind would probably melt if she continued to stress out over the day's events.

After much deliberation Melody finally crawled towards the entrance to the second level. She gripped the metal rod and pulled it free from its confinement. Immediately the hatch flew open and Jasper was angrily climbing up the last few rungs of the ladder. When he saw Melody, his gaze softened immediately and he moved to sit beside where she had propped herself up against the wall.

There was silence between the two of them for a few moments. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence on either side. Melody didn't allow herself to look at Jasper for the longest time. She sat with her back propped up against the wall and her legs straightened out in front of her. Suddenly, gnawing her lower lip seemed to take all of her focus. In return, Jasper kept his own eyes forward and his fingertips drummed a steady beat against the floor.

Melody didn't know what to say. If she tried to apologize for what she'd done, it may be the first Jasper was hearing of her crimes. If she stayed silent, he might lash out at her for keeping it all a secret. It seemed that no matter what she said, it wouldn't be the right thing. Luckily, Melody didn't have to wonder long because Jasper was the first to break the silence.

"Clarke told us what happened." Jasper said softly, turning his head so he could look down at Melody. "About the doctor." He added, as if there might be some confusion as to what he meant. But there was no confusion; Melody knew exactly what he was getting at.

"I suppose she'll want me to leave." Melody replied evenly, biting down hard enough to draw the coppery taste of blood into her mouth.

It was only right that Melody be banished like Murphy. He'd killed Charlotte and Melody had killed Jason. The two of them were like peas in a pod. Besides, Melody didn't know if she could handle everyone looking at her the way they'd looked at Murphy; as if she were evil and unwelcome.

The suggestion caused Jasper's eyebrows to fly up in surprise. "Of course not." He said firmly, shaking his head from side to side. "Melody, you're pardoned. We're _all_ pardoned. You have just as much of a right to be here as the rest of us."

Melody shook her head slowly as Jasper's words penetrated her mind. Why did he have to try and make her feel better? Mel was content to bask in sorrow and self-pity for the rest of her days on Earth. Yet here was Jasper, her very own knight in shining armor, sweeping in and making everything okay again. But everything was not _okay._

"Jasper, I killed him." Mel said slowly as she turned her green gaze up to meet his brown one. The sympathy and affection that she saw reflected in his eyes made Melody turn her head away at once. "I'm a murderer." She muttered as her head leaned back to rest against the wall and her eyes traced the patterns of the ceiling.

"Mel you're not a murderer." Insisted Jasper.

"Then what am I?" Melody demanded, her fiery gaze snapping back towards Jasper. "Don't you understand anything, Goggle Boy? I _killed_ a person."

Jasper's own gaze hardened considerable as he looked down at her. "So did some of the others." He reminded her of the several other delinquents that had been put away for murder. Most of them under much different circumstances. "And they've been forgiven Melody."

Melody wanted to scream in frustration because Jasper just didn't _get it_. He'd never killed a man before. He had never felt the _guilt._ Mel didn't need the forgiveness of the Ark or the 100 or even God himself. What she needed was to forgive herself. To finally be rid of all the guilt and the fear that had been clouding up her mind for the last four years.

And that just wasn't in the cards right now.

"Jasper." Melody said softly, not sure how to further explain it to him. "I got a slap on the wrist. And that just isn't enough."

Jasper scowled in obvious confusion. "A slap on the wrist? Melody, you spent years in _prison._ You did the time."

"No, I didn't!" Melody shouted, pushing herself to her feet in order to walk across the room. "I took Jason's _life._ No amount of time can make up for something like that."

Jasper grew considerably quiet as Melody paced across the upper level. She ran a hand through her already tousled red hair, brushing the long locks out of her face with a sigh. Melody was beyond conflicted. She was torn between being the tough girl that she'd developed into over the years and the weak, frightened girl that she'd been in her youth. It hadn't taken much to unlock the latter part of herself, so maybe Melody wasn't quite as _tough_ as she'd thought.

_Or maybe you've just been strong for too long._ A small, optimistic voice whispered in Melody's ears. _Everyone's got a weakness, Mel. _

"You knew him."

Jasper's words startled Melody out of her thoughts. The pacing halted as she turned to look at the boy once more. All traces of anger had left her face as confusion clouded over. Arms crossed over her chest, Melody tilted her head before she spoke.

"What?"

"You knew him." Repeated Jasper. "You knew the doctor. You called him _Jason._" He pointed out, climbing to his feet slowly.

Melody blinked a few times as she let the words sink in. She hadn't meant to let that little bit of information slip. But now that she had, Melody knew that Jasper would be relentless in figuring out the rest of the story. With a sigh, she leaned back against the wall and watched as he walked towards her.

"I did know him." Mel admitted, shrugging one of her shoulders easily. "So what?" She asked, watching Jasper carefully. He leaned against the wall with one shoulder and faced Melody with both arms crossed over his chest. Dark brown eyes bore into her own.

"_So_, what did he do?"

Melody's eyes widened at Jasper's question. "W-what do you mean?" She spluttered embarrassingly and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Mel, I know you." Jasper said softly. He reached out and placed one hand on her shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're not just some killer; you're a _protector. _It's what you do. If you killed this guy there had to be a reason for it."

"You don't know anything..." Melody mumbled as she pulled away from the unwelcome yet comforting contact between the two of them.

Jasper wouldn't let her leave, though. He reached out with both arms and grasped her shoulders firmly. Jasper was stronger than Melody and he easily held her in place despite her efforts to get away. As his fingers tightened their hold, Melody had no choice but to face him. Their gazes clashed once more and Melody found herself frowning up at him.

Jasper gave Melody a pointed look as he took an intentional step forward. "I know you stabbed Murphy in the leg when he tried to go after me."

Melody's frown turned into a full-blown scowl. There was no point in denying Jasper's words because they were true. _Everyone _knew about Melody's fight with Murphy. In a group like theirs word traveled fast.

"And I watched you punch that guy who was being an asshole in the woods." As he said the words, Jasper reached out and gently cupped Melody's still-bruised cheek. The pain had all but faded, but it was enough of a reminder. "Not to mention the fact that you put your own life on the line more than once. For me and Charlotte both."

Memories flooded Melody's mind as Jasper brought up the selfless things she had done. It had been less than 24 hours since Charlotte's death, but it already seemed like an ancient tragedy. Time on Earth was much different than time on the Ark. There was little room for dwelling on things which was why they'd all but forgotten about the recent events.

With the memories came the faint feeling of protectiveness that Melody had felt each and every time she'd put herself between the enemy and her friends. What Jasper said was true; she _was_ a protector. It was in her nature. When she'd stabbed Murphy it was to protect Jasper. When she'd been prepared to go up against Charlotte's pursuers, it was to protect the frightened little girl that reminded Melody so much of her younger self. And when she had killed Jason, it was to protect her mother and herself.

But it didn't change the fact that murder was murder.

"Jasper…" Melody started to protest, but there wasn't anything _to_ protest. Everything he'd said was the truth.

"What did he _do_, Melody?" Jasper pressed, his voice firmer this time. "How did you know him?"

Melody knew that he expected an answer now. Part of her wanted to tell Jasper what had really gone down that day on the Ark. She wanted to -for the first time- confide in someone. Another part of her was too ashamed of what had happened. And in return ashamed of what she had done. Melody knew, though, that Jasper wouldn't lash out at her or laugh or react in a way that would make her regret spilling her guts.

A sigh of defeat left Melody's lips as she looked up at Jasper with that seemingly permanent scowl etched onto her face. "He was my mother's boyfriend." Melody admitted softly. "For probably eight or nine years."

The news surprised Jasper, but then again everything out of Melody's mouth seemed to surprise him. Although his eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up, Jasper remained silent as he let Melody speak her piece. It was hard not to immediately react, but Jasper managed to control himself. He was the type of guy who listened and heard you out before drawing assumptions. And that -along with his relentless pleading- was why Melody had chosen to talk to him.

The old feeling of nostalgia rendered Melody almost speechless. Her initial response when Jason was mentioned was to close up and shut down. The pain that accompanied the majority of her childhood memories had always been overwhelming, which was why she didn't enjoy talking about her life before the Sky Box. Today, Melody forced herself to power through that familiar feeling of discomfort and continue on with her story.

"Jason was great to me." Melody continued in the same quiet tone. She didn't see the point in lying about anything. It would be so easy to paint a picture of the monster Jason ended up turning into, but Melody had no desire to taint his memory. He hadn't always been bad. At least not to her. "Really great, actually. He helped my mother raise me from the time I was three or four. Jason was the closest thing I ever had to a father. I _adored_ him."

Melody found that saying the words aloud was not nearly as painful as thinking them to herself. It actually made her feel a bit better to get the words off of her chest. "Jason wasn't perfect. But he made me happy and he made my mother happy and that was all that mattered to me. Our family was a bit broken, but it was salvageable. We welcomed him in without a second thought."

Melody was getting off topic, but it was like she had a sudden case of word vomit. Once she started talking about everything it was hard to stop. The good memories and the bad memories went hand in hand. Not only was she informing Jasper, but she was reminding herself.

"So this Jason guy was with your mom." Jasper summarized. "And he was really good to you." When Melody nodded in confirmation, Jasper frowned and shook his head slightly. "I'm missing a piece of the puzzle."

Melody sighed softly and nodded once more before continuing. "Jason was really good to me…at first. He was a better role model than I could have asked for. He was strong and powerful and brave. He's the one who taught me everything I know. He's the reason I'm _me._" That last statement had a deeper undertone than Jasper wouldn't catch. Jason was the reason Melody had turned into the person she was; a fighter.

"Things changed, though." Continued Melody. "When I was about twelve I started to notice a lot more. Like how my mom always seemed to shrink into herself when Jason was around. Then I noticed the bruises that she could no longer hide from me. And I realized that there was more to Jason than what laid on the surface."

"When I was thirteen I decided to take matters into my own hands." Melody admitted with a frown as she cast her eyes downward. The next part of the story required minimal eye contact. "I was finally old enough to start working in the factory with my mother. I was still too young for anyone to recruit me for another station, so I put all of my energy into learning about mass production. I guess I figured that if I could help out, we wouldn't need Jason to provide for us anymore. And then he would leave us alone."

"But he didn't." Jasper guessed quietly.

"He didn't." Confirmed Melody with a slight shake of her head. "I went to see him in his office one day to tell him that he didn't have to take care of us anymore. He didn't take it very well…"

Melody drew in a ragged breath and turned her eyes towards Jasper once more. The concern she saw on his face was enough to make Melody want to burst into tears. The fact that he was actually listening to her made Mel's heart swell with happiness and love. The urge to curl up into Jasper and hide away forever was very tempting at the moment, but Melody squelched that impulse immediately. Now that her backstory was out in the open, she needed Jasper to _know_.

The boy's voice was a hushed whisper when he found the right words to say. "What did he do to you?"

Melody swallowed the lump in her throat and focused her attention on the cracks in the floor before she spoke again. "First he got angry and he yelled at me. Told me that he'd done an awful lot for me and that it was time for me to give him something in return." Jasper's sharp intake of breath told Melody that he caught the meaning behind her words. Still, she continued to explain. It was something she had to do.

"When I tried to tell him that there was nothing I could do, he hit me." Remembering that day, Melody's hand fluttered upwards to gently brush her bruised cheek. The next set of words seemed stuck in her throat. It took several moments of clearing her throat before Melody could whisper the words that she'd never dared to say aloud.

"And then he raped me."

|oOo|

Jasper Jordan had never felt anything compared to the all-consuming rage that suddenly flooded through his entire body as he looked down at the broken girl in front of him. The sight of her looking so helpless and vulnerable unleashed a side of Jasper that he'd never known was there. A side of him that was a raw and savage. A side that craved destruction and anarchy.

Jasper hadn't known Melody for very long. In fact, he had known her for only a matter of weeks; during which he had spent countless days either missing or unconscious. However, in just those few short weeks he had come to know and care for the immensely. There was no denying the bond that had quickly formed between the two of them. It was a bond that Jasper didn't really understand, but one that he didn't question. There was just something about them that had clicked. And the rest was history.

At first Jasper had seen Melody as nothing more than some scared little girl. There was this look of terror in her eyes that had tugged at his heartstrings. That was why he'd held her hand on the dropship and told her that everything was going to be okay. The ride had been rough, and through it all Jasper had found himself with this unexplainable urge to make sure Melody was alright. And then when they had landed, Jasper was so caught up in the exuberance of it all that he had -literally- swept the girl off of her feet; the boldness of his actions was _very_ uncommon. But he'd gotten the feeling that it was something he _had_ to do. They'd survived the landing and Jasper wanted nothing more than to include her in that little victory.

There had never really been any question about accepting Melody into his and Monty's lives. They both just kind of knew that she _belonged_ with them. Melody had sealed the deal when she had tagged along on the trip to Mount Weather. In just a matter of hours Melody had integrated into their lives so easily that it was strange to think she hadn't been there the whole time. Even when things got tough, Melody had been there. She had risked her life to find him and bring him back to the camp. And then she'd watched over him like his very own guardian angel. She'd _stabbed_ a guy for him. Melody Pond -all 5'4 inches and 100 pounds of her- had gone head to head with John Murphy and _won._

Jasper was amazed.

In a lot of ways, Melody had been Jasper's glue. She had been the one there to hold things together. Never once had she given up on him. And in a way, she'd been Monty's glue, too. When Jasper's best friend had lost nearly all hope, Melody was there to remind him that they had to keep going. All it took was those three little words from her mouth and everything was magically better. _We are Apache. _

Melody Pond may have killed a man, but she was no murderer.

If Jasper had to describe Melody he would use the word _loyal_. When it came down to it, Melody would be there through thick and thin. Jasper now understood how hard it was for Melody to open herself up to people. He saw the fear of rejection shimmering in her eyes and it struck a chord deep inside of him.

_She doesn't think she's worth it. _

The truth of the matter dawned on him suddenly and Jasper felt sick to his stomach. Melody, the girl who tried to save them all, was the one who truly needed the saving. This was a girl who beamed at a few kind words and could be destroyed with just a few spiteful ones. She was stronger than all of them put together, but she was also weaker than any of them had realized. And with good reason.

"Melody…" When Jasper spoke his voice came out strained. He didn't know what words would console her. He didn't know how to heal her broken spirit.

"You don't have to tell me you're sorry, Jasper." Melody whispered, still not meeting his gaze.

Jasper struggled to find the right words. "You didn't deserve it." He said slowly, shaking his head angrily. "He got what was coming to him."

"I know." Her reply was less than convincing.

Jasper reached out and his arms wrapped his arms around the smaller girl's form. When he tugged Melody towards his body she came willingly. With his arms enveloping her in a protective cocoon, the girl completely crumbled. Loud sobbing filled the dropship as Melody clutched at the fabric of Jasper's shirt and buried her head in his chest. The boy's chin rested comfortable on the top of Melody's head as he held her sobbing body close to his.

"Shhh." Jasper soothed, gently running his fingers through the mass of red hair that hung down Melody's back. "It's going to be okay, Melody." Silently, he added the words, _I promise. _

Jasper didn't mind holding Melody while she cried. Although he wished he could cure her of this sadness, he just couldn't. The least he _could_ do was make sure she didn't have to go through this alone anymore.

Having the weight of something that heavy on his shoulders was not something Jasper could imagine. What Melody had gone through was nothing like the rest of the sob stories he'd heard around camp. People complained about their parents being floated or living in poverty or how they were just so _misunderstood._ Melody hadn't complained even once and she had to deal with all of the above and then some. She was probably the bravest person Jasper had ever met.

When Melody finally regained some of her composure, she pulled away from Jasper and stared up at him with worried eyes. "Who else knows?" She wondered, sniffling as she asked the question.

Jasper looked down at Melody with a frown, not wanting to say anything that would make things worse. In the end, though, he had to be honest with her. "Clarke told me and Monty when they got back. I'm assuming Finn knows and that new girl, Raven. Bellamy knows, too."

Melody nodded her head and Jasper was glad that he seemed to have said the right thing. It was obvious that Melody didn't want the entire camp to know about the reason for her imprisonment. Jasper could understand that. Some things were meant to be private.

"I'm sure more people know. I bet Bellamy's having a hay day with this." Melody muttered as she pulled away from Jasper and began to dry her eyes.

"You think he'd tell everyone?" Jasper was surprised by her assumption.

Bellamy was a jerk, yeah, but Jasper didn't think he was _cruel. _And last he knew, Bellamy and Melody had been on good terms. The two of them had clashed in the beginning, apparently. Jasper hadn't been awake to see any of it first-hand, but Monty had eagerly filled him in. Over time though they had formed what Jasper assumed was an alliance.

It was during the fight that Jasper had seen the relationship between Bellamy and Melody. When Mel had gone in for the kill, Bellamy had pulled her away. The fact that the girl just _let _him was the first clue. When Melody had gotten hit, Bellamy had immediately dropped everything and went running. That was the second clue. The poor guy had spent more than an hour pacing around outside of the dropship while Clarke tended to Melody. That was the third and final clue.

The alliance between the two of them had been present when they'd set out to find Charlotte. Jasper didn't know what happened out there, but it seemed to bring the two of them even closer. Hell, Jasper would have thought they were borderline _friends. _But then Melody had gone off into the woods with Clarke and Finn and returned a whole new person.

Melody laughed bitterly at Jasper's question, as if he were missing something obvious. "Why wouldn't he? He's the one that told Clarke, after all."

That bit of information was news to Jasper.

"How did he even know? Did you tell him?" Jasper asked the question almost accusingly and immediately regretted it when he saw the angry look on Melody's face.

"Of course not!" She snapped at him. "He already knew. He was apparently in the guard when I was arrested."

"So he knew about the killing from the beginning. And he was using it as what…leverage?" Jasper watched as Melody nodded, growing angrier as he pieced everything together aloud. "And he outed you to Clarke."

Melody's gaze lowered to the ground once more and she nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

"That bastard!"

Jasper turned away from Melody and was making his way quickly towards the ladder, fueled completely by his anger. The _nerve_ of that guy. Bellamy had to have known what Clarke's take on this would be. After all, she was always preaching about how every life counted and how they didn't get to choose he lived or died. Bellamy knew that she would resent Melody for what she had done. And he'd outed her to save his own skin.

Jasper recalled the angry way Clarke had informed him of Melody's crimes against the Ark. She'd been angry at Melody for not telling them sooner and she had been angry at herself for reacting poorly. Clarke was the kind of girl to get all worked up over something and lash out verbally. And if Jasper had to guess, that was the reason for Melody's countless hours of sobbing by herself in the upper level.

Suddenly, he resented Clarke just as much as he did Bellamy.

"Jasper, wait!" Melody called out as she followed behind him. "What are you going to do?" She asked anxiously as she bent beside the hatch and watched Jasper's descending figure.

Jasper paused and looked up at Melody, still clinging to the rungs of the ladder. She looked so nervous that it puzzled him for a moment. Until he realized that she was nervous for _him._ Like always, Melody was worrying about others before she worried about herself. And that only made his need to defend her grow.

"I'm going to give Bellamy Blake a piece of my mind." Announced Jasper.

He lowered himself down the last few rungs of the ladder until he felt his feet touch the floor. Thankfully, Melody didn't object or try to follow him. Jasper turned on his heel and began heading for the camp with a determined look about him.

Everyone was busily preparing to launch some flares that Raven had found in the cargo pod. People assembled stands for the flares and were positioning them in a straight line. Jasper had heard Clarke say that if they sent a signal to the Ark then they wouldn't have to kill all of those people to conserve oxygen. But that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

It didn't take Jasper long to spot Bellamy. He was standing with among the group of delinquents as they prepared to launch the flares. Jasper had barely made it to the group when the first flare was lit. Everyone watched in amazement as the purple-red burst of light shot for the sky. A loud, booming noise filled the air as it exploded. Several others quickly followed suit, with each of them exploding in a burst of color.

They watched long after the last flare had exploded in the sky. When people finally did begin to disperse, Jasper approached Bellamy. The older male eyed him wearily and stood in a defensive position with both arms tightly crossed over his chest and a scowl plastered across his face.

"What do you want, Jasper?" Bellamy asked, habitually looking around to make sure no one was going to be listening in on their conversation.

"I want to know who the hell you think you are." The harsh words were out of Jasper's mouth before he could even stop them. His rather aggressive behavior was so out of character that even Bellamy raised his eyebrows in shock.

"Excuse me?" Bellamy's tone was low and threatening as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'm talking about Melody." Jasper said, as if it should have been obvious. Why else would he waste his time trying to talk to Bellamy?

"You don't know _what_ you're talking about, Goggles." Bellamy's voice took on a darker tone as he stepped closer to Jasper.

"I think I do." Countered Jasper as he refused to back down. It was the first time that he had ever stood up to their dauntless leader. Jasper doubted it would end well for him, but he knew that it was worth it. When Melody was concerned, it was _always_ worth it.

"Oh yeah?" Bellamy looked down at Jasper with a scowl. "So you're telling me you know she murdered the doctor?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jasper's confident words seemed to surprise Bellamy who suddenly looked taken aback.

"She told you?" Bellamy's voice changed suddenly. It was a bit softer when he spoke of Melody, which confused the hell out of Jasper. Did he honestly think they were still friends after all of this?

"Of course she did." Snapped Jasper. "She told me _all_ of it."

Bellamy lifted his chin slightly and suddenly he looked more curious than angry. He obviously understood that Jasper knew something he didn't. And that didn't settle well with Bellamy. "What do you mean '_all of it_'?" Bellamy wondered with a frown. "Melody killed the doctor when she was thirteen. End of story."

Jasper shook his head and laughed, the sound void of any and all humor. Did Bellamy really think it was as simple as that? Even _he_ had to know that Melody Pond was anything but simple. And did he really think she just woke up one day and decided that it would be fun to kill a doctor? That was ridiculous.

"_Not_ end of story." Jasper argued, his voice much more serious than usual. "There's a reason behind why she killed the doctor."

Bellamy stilled suddenly as the words washed over him. It seemed that he hadn't thought about the reason behind Melody's actions. He had been too absorbed in the crime itself to factor anything else into the equation.

"Why?" Bellamy demanded quickly, frowning at Jasper. It was obvious that he didn't like being out of the loop.

Jasper just shook his head once more and gave Bellamy a look of disbelief. "Did you really think she just _murdered_ the guy for no reason? Have you even _met_ Melody?" The disgust in Jasper's voice was evident and he made no attempt to hide it.

"Why?" Bellamy asked again, his glower hardening as Jasper avoided the question. Being in the dark was becoming increasingly frustrating.

"I mean, come on. Melody is the one who defends us. She's spent every waking minute on Earth trying to protect everyone she can. Me, Octavia, Charlotte…" Jasper trailed off and gave Bellamy a confused glance. "Do you think she'd do that if she was a _murderer_?"

"Damn it, Jasper!" Bellamy lunged forward and grabbed Jasper by the collar of his shirt. He yanked the boy forward until their faces were just inches apart. "_Why _did she kill him?"

Jasper paused at Bellamy's question, frowning up at him silently. It hadn't occurred to him until now that the reason behind Melody's actions were extremely personal. Jasper knew that she didn't want it to get around camp. Melody was ashamed of what had happened to her. He could tell by the way she'd described the whole experience. And although it wasn't his secret to share, Jasper knew that Bellamy had to _know._ He needed to know exactly what had happened to Melody. He needed to know just how badly he had screwed up by opening his big mouth.

"The guy was like her dad, Bellamy." Jasper said lowly, not surprised by Bellamy's confused frown. "He and her mom had been together for a really long time. He practically raised Melody from the time she was a toddler."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bellamy wondered, shaking his head in confusion. "This has nothing to do with why she killed him."

"This has _everything_ to do with why she killed him." Jasper finally managed to pull away from Bellamy's grip. Smoothing down his wrinkled shirt, Jasper narrowed his gaze at Bellamy before continuing. "Melody loved the guy. And apparently he was great to her, but a real dick to her mother. Beat her and stuff."

Bellamy looked surprised and slightly angry at the sudden revelation about Doctor Evans. Apparently it hadn't occurred to him that the doctor might not be totally innocent.

"And that's why Melody killed him?" Assumed Bellamy. "Because he was rough with her mom?"

"He wasn't _rough, _Bellamy. He left bruises; lots of them." Jasper said seriously. And then he shook his head sadly. "But no, that's not why she killed him."

"Then why, Jasper?" Bellamy was growing increasingly angry, but he was going to stick around for the end of the story. "I don't have time for you to give me some sob story about how Melody had it rough growing up. I want to know why she killed him."

"She stood up to him." Jasper was curt, his own impatience showing. "Tried to tell him that they didn't want him around anymore. The guy got really pissed and roughed her up. And then he…" The words seemed to get stuck in Jasper's throat.

Bellamy's gaze darkened immediately. Jasper would have sworn that there was an angry and almost _protective_ edge to his voice when he asked the next question. "What did he do to her?"

"He raped her." There was no emotion in Jasper's voice when he spoke this time. It was a complete monotone; it was empty. "And then he just tossed her away like she was nothing. Told her that he'd be home in time for dinner. Went about his merry fucking way and left Melody on the floor in his office."

There was no denying the anger in Bellamy's gaze now. There was underlying shame as well, but Jasper hardly saw it. If Jasper thought _he _was mad…Bellamy Blake looked absolutely murderous. He cursed loudly and slammed his fist against the nearest tree.

"Damn it!" Roared Bellamy, causing several people to stare at him curiously. "I didn't know what happened to her. I just thought…" Bellamy trailed off, because even he didn't know what he thought.

Jasper thought that seeing Bellamy like this would make him feel satisfied. Instead, it only fueled the hatred that burned deep inside his belly. Hatred for a man that was long since dead. And by Melody's hand, nonetheless. As if she should have to live with the guilt of the doctor's death on her shoulders on top of all the suffering he'd already caused her.

"You didn't think." Said Jasper boldly. "You were just trying to put the heat on someone else. And because of that, you hurt her. Bad."

Bellamy didn't even bother denying it. Instead, he just looked at Jasper seriously and shook his head slowly. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

The sincerity of his words caused Jasper to pause. It became apparent then that Bellamy Blake was actually _ashamed._ The guilt was tearing him up. _That_ brought Jasper a bit of satisfaction, but not much. And the only reason he wasn't fully satisfied was because Bellamy would _never_ feel as bad as Melody did. He would never feel the full consequence of his actions.

"But you _did_." Jasper pointed out.

"I _know_ that." Bellamy's voice went from angry to pleading in a matter of moments. "Tell me how I can make this up to her."

Jasper's eyes widened in surprise. Bellamy Blake was actually trying to make _amends._ Jasper wished that he could help the guy out, but he didn't know if anything could make up for what Bellamy had done to Melody. The girl was crushed.

"I don't know. She's not the forgive and forget type." Jasper admitted with a helpless little shrug.

"_Please_, Jasper." Bellamy's voice was low and now he was flat out begging. That alone let Jasper know just how desperate he was to make things right.

But _why_?

Jasper thought for a few moments before speaking. "She's going to crawl out of bed tomorrow and act like this whole thing never even happened. But it _did._ And she's going to insist that there's nothing wrong. _She's a liar_."

Bellamy tried to follow Jasper's words, but he only ended up confusing himself. "Okay. What does that have to do with me making it up to her?" Wondered Bellamy with a frown.

Jasper sighed loudly and crossed his arms over his chest. "_Everything_." He said seriously, emphasizing the word to make sure Bellamy understood. When the male nodded, Jasper continued. "Melody hates feeling weak. She's not about to let you see the effect this is having on her. She's the protector, not the protectee…And that's her problem."

Bellamy nodded slowly once more. "Okay." He understood that much; Melody hadn't showed even the slightest inkling of weakness before today. "So what do I do?"

"You need to teach her how to protect _herself_."

**Such emotions. Such intensity. Such vagueness there at the end…Oops. Aaaaanyways, let me know what you guys think. Especially about the POV change for the second half of the chapter. I enjoyed delving into Jasper's mind. Did you enjoy reading it? **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

It seemed like Melody had barely even closed her eyes when she was slowly blinking awake once more, enveloped in both tranquility and silence as she lay curled up on her half of the small cot. For a few moments the world seemed to stand still around her. The birds did not chirp, the other campers didn't stir, and for just a handful of seconds Melody could almost pretend that she was the only person on the face of the Earth.

It was easy to pretend. All Melody had to do was close her eyes and simply think, _I'm alone here. _And then everything else would just fade into the background. Her imagination would need no convincing in order to create wild and vivid scenarios in her mind. These phantom situations would bend and contour themselves to Melody's every whim and desire. Just like that, Melody had the ability to dream while she was awake.

But that was all they were; daydreams.

Soon the sound of Jasper's steady breathing accompanied by Monty's gentle snores dragged Melody back down to Earth. For a few moments she just laid there and listened to the lulling sounds that made her feel so _at home. _The girl then sighed contentedly as she pulled the blankets up to her chin and allowed her eyes to flutter shut once more. There was no hope for sleep; sleep lead to darker and sinister things. All Melody wanted was a few more peaceful moments before she would be forced to face reality.

_I live in a world of fantasy, so keep your reality away from me. _

Melody didn't recall where she had heard the quote, but she found it rather fitting given her current situation. Reality had never been so hard to face before. All Melody wanted to do was hide deep within the wildest depths of her imagination; but hiding was not an option.

_You're a protector. It's what you do._

Jasper's words echoed in Melody's mind. It seemed that the boy always knew the right words to say without even trying. Any time Melody even thought about escaping into her own mind, those words were there to snap her back to reality. If Melody wasn't there to protect the rest of them, who would? Once again Jasper had reminded her of her purpose and saved Melody from herself.

After confronting Bellamy, Jasper had gone back to the dropship and convinced Melody to spend the night in his tent. Although she was no longer sobbing and dwelling over things, it was obvious that Melody was in no state to be left alone. She was hurting and in dire need of a good hug. The softer side of Jasper had come out once more and he felt the need to take the girl under his wing and nurse her back to health.

And that was exactly what he did.

They'd spent the whole night talking. Melody was a bit reluctant at first, but she found that every time she talked about what had happened it made things seem a bit more bearable. It seemed that each time the story was told and re-told that mischievous sparkle in her eye gleamed brighter and brighter. And every time Jasper and Monty reassured Melody that they didn't resent her for hiding the secret, she became a bit more confident. By the end of the night, Jasper no longer saw the shell of a girl who'd hidden herself away in the dropship. He only saw the woman she'd always been.

It only seemed natural that Jasper should be the one to help Melody out in her time of need. After all, she would have -and had- done the same thing for him. While Melody had feared the revelation of what she had done to Jason would weaken their bond, it only seemed to have made it stronger.

With that thought in mind, Melody rolled over and was surprised when she found herself gazing into the warmest set of brown eyes she'd ever seen. An involuntary smile quickly spread across her face as she saw that Jasper was just waking, with glossy, sleep-filled eyes and a silly little smile in place.

"Hey." Melody's whisper was soft, so as not to wake the other boy in the tent. Monty was still snoring away happily, and Melody didn't want to disturb him.

"Hi." Jasper's voice was low and groggy as he rubbed both fists against his eyes. After blinking a few times, his gaze fell back on Melody and he gave her a small smile. "You're not a bad sight to wake up to y'know."

A breathless laugh escaped the girl and a slight red hue tinted her cheeks. The words sent a dash of pride straight to Melody's heart and then she was practically beaming. Mel definitely wasn't used to being complimented in such a way. People complimented on her strength, her smarts, her wit…but not her looks.

Melody Pond was not an ugly girl. Beneath her never-ending scowl and permanent grimace laid a reasonably cute face. And although Melody's features may have been seen as "plain" by some, there was a beautiful simplicity about her looks. Ivory skin, full lips, and high cheekbones that she had inherited from her mother. Reddish-orange hair, a straight nose, and mossy-green eyes that she had inherited from her father. The combination of her parents' features had left Melody with a unique look all her own.

"Don't get used to this." Melody warned jokingly as she pulled herself upright into a sitting position. Absently, she ran a hand through the thick mass of red hair that was sticking out every which way. "My heart belongs to another."

Jasper's gaze narrowed playfully and immediately swung in the direction of his tent-mate, who was still fast asleep. "I knew it!" Exclaimed Jasper in a mock-whisper as he pointed an accusing finger at Monty. "Thou hath stolen the heart of the fair maiden." And then he added, "Betrayed by my own brother."

Melody erupted into a fit of giggles at Jasper's words, earning her a wide grin from her companion. The thought of Monty stealing Melody's heart was so _preposterous._ She loved the boy deeply, but in a way that was completely innocent. Nevertheless, Melody found herself playing into Jasper's little game.

"Tis true." Agreed Melody, her voice raising an octave or two as she did her best to match Jasper's manner of speaking. It was ancient dialect, but Shakespeare's era was still remembered by the people of the Ark…barely. "My heart belongs to Montgomery Green of Farm Station." Melody's grin turned wicked as she looked back towards Jasper with a wide and innocent gaze. "I truly hope we can still be friends."

One hand flew up and clutched at his chest while the other was draped dramatically over his eyes. Jasper let out an exasperated groan as he fell backwards on the bed. "Hit right where it hurts!" Jasper exclaimed loudly, grimacing. "The old '_We can still be friends' _bit. Oldest line in the book."

"I thought the oldest line in the book was, '_It's not you, it's me._'" Melody argued, smirking down at the boy's crumpled form.

"You're right. That one's the worst." Jasper agreed immediately, nodding his head as he pulled his arm away to look up at Melody. "_Please _don't say that." He begged with a disgusted frown. "It might cause me physical pain."

"Hmm. Noted." The impish reply was accompanied by a wicked grin as Melody finally kicked the blankets away and forced herself to climb out of bed.

The boys' tent was a bit smaller than the one she shared with Octavia, but it was set up in a similar manner. The tent was divided by an invisible line down the middle. Each side held one cot and -much like Melody's tent- a small, hand-crafted table for what little personal possessions they may have. It was rather simple, but it was really all anyone needed down here.

Melody walked towards Jasper's table and began rummaging through the clothing there to find something suitable. It took a few moments for her to find a slightly-large jacket that looked like it was the cleanest amongst the boy's things. Doing laundry wasn't exactly a luxury on Earth, so they had to make do with what they had. Well, the boys did anyways; Melody just kind of took from them when she needed to.

As Melody shrugged into the jacket and began to roll up the sleeves, she heard Jasper climb out of the bed they'd been -not easily- sharing. Turning her head slightly, Melody watched as the boy rolled up the blankets and carelessly tossed them into the center of the bed. Then, he flopped back onto it and threw a pillow at Monty's head in an attempt to wake the other boy up. A smile spread across her face as she watched him with ill-disguised humor. He moved around and did things that were so…_teenage._ It was nice to think that throughout all of this, they still managed to have a bit of "normalcy" in their lives.

Jasper grinned as Monty stirred and groaned irritably in his sleep. "Wake up!" He commanded, throwing another pillow in the direction of the other's face. "See our guest home." Teased Jasper, waggling his eyebrows mischievously in Melody's direction. "Home" was just across the camp and she could make it there fine.

Jasper just liked to be _Jasper. _

"I'm up." Mumbled Monty, as he rolled over to face Jasper with a sleepy scowl planted on his face. "Do you have to be such a jackass?"

Melody and Jasper both laughed heartily which eventually caused Monty to crack a smile as well. While the two boys teased each other back and forth, Melody quickly slipped on and laced up her boots. As nice as it was to be in the company of her two best friends, Melody knew that she had to resume business as usual. And that was exactly what she planned on doing.

As if sensing her urgency to get things moving, Monty turned his attention towards Melody. "Morning, Mels." Greeted the boy as he stifled a yawn with one hand. "Sleep well?" Monty pressed, asking the question in a clear attempt to keep Melody around a bit longer.

Melody found that she didn't have to force a smile as she nodded her head. It was then that she realized no nightmares had haunted her dreams. If she had to guess why, Melody would immediately suggest that her lack of nightmares was because of Jasper and Monty. It was hard for Melody not to feel safe whenever she was with the two of them.

"Did you?" Countered Melody as she ran a hand through her hair one final time before crossing both arms over her chest tightly. "I mean, I laid a lot of heavy stuff on you last night. I'm sorry…" She explained sheepishly, her voice tapering off at the end of her apology.

"You don't have to apologize." Monty frowned at Melody and immediately sat up to give her an almost scolding sort of look. "_Never_ apologize. You know you can talk to us about anything."

"Yeah, Mel." Added Jasper as he walked over and gave her a wide and reassuring grin. "It's just what we do. We help our friends when they need it the most."

Melody nodded her head, having finally come to accept the fact that sometimes they would be there whether she wanted them to be or not. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly in a crooked smile as she looked up at Jasper, who had the demeanor of a concerned big brother. Without a second thought, she threw her small arms around Jasper's neck and pulled him close. In return his arms wrapped around her back and held her tightly.

Melody's voice was soft against his ear. "Thank you." The words were simple, but there was an awful lot of emotion behind them. Melody wasn't the best at explaining her feelings. But that was okay, because actions spoke louder than words. Melody's eyes turned towards Monty as she looked at him over Jasper's shoulder. "Both of you."

"Any time." Rather than having gone with the simple, 'You're welcome', Jasper had chosen his words carefully. He wanted Melody to know that he was always going to be there when she needed him to. They both were. "We love you, Mel. And don't you forget that." The words were enunciated as Jasper's arms tightened around her body ever so slightly.

Melody's heart soared at the almost bashful proclamation of_ love_. There was only one person Melody had ever loved before now and that was her mother. To Melody, love wasn't the kind you heard about in fairy tales. It wasn't just about hugging and kissing and romanticizing every little thing; that wasn't _real._ It was about caring deeply for someone else. It was about protecting them and putting their needs before your own. Love wasn't about finding and adoring perfect people; it was about loving the flaws of the imperfect ones. And that was the only way to describe how Melody felt about the two boys in front of her.

It was Monty who ruined the lovey mood with his gentle and teasing reminder. "You two _do_ realize I'm in the room right?" He called out, laughing quietly to himself from across the tent.

Melody and Jasper pulled apart at the sound of Monty's voice. He looked at the two of them with a smirk and waggled his eyebrows devilishly. Melody's eyes rolled in response to Monty's suggestive behavior and a smile spread across her face. Both she and Jasper knew that the boy was only teasing. The thought of any _romantic_ feelings between Melody and Jasper was just out of the question. Their relationship had been strictly platonic from the very beginning. Jasper was like a brother to Melody now, and no amount of hugging or '_I love yous_' was going to change that.

"You do realize you're an idiot right?" Jasper retorted with a grin in the direction of his best friend.

"Yeah, _Idiot._" Taunted Melody, sticking her tongue out at Monty childishly. The urge to giggle washed over Melody and she gave into it, delighting the both of them with girlish peals of laughter. Man, being immature for even just a few moments felt _good._

"You're just jealous that she hugged me and not you." Insisted Jasper.

Neither one of them were prepared for Monty's response.

"And you are just jealous that you don't have what I, Montgomery of Farm Station, has." Announced Monty loudly, his grin growing and lighting up his face. "The heart of the fair maiden."

Melody and Jasper exchanged surprised looks at Monty's words. The playful words had been uttered soon after they woke, when they'd been under the assumption that Monty was succumbing to his beauty rest. For a few moments the three of them were silent as they thought of what had just been said. And then, the trio burst into fits of laughter.

"You _heard_ us?" Cackled Melody as she bent over, forced to place her palms against her thighs for a bit of support. She was laughing so hard that tears were forming in her eyes and threatening to spill over.

"Of course I did!" Monty exclaimed. "You two aren't very good at whispering you know."

"Oh gosh. That's embarrassing." Admitted Jasper, shaking his head with a grin.

"_You're embarrassed?_" Melody asked, her voice shrill. "I'm the one declaring my love for Monty!"

They continued to laugh for a long while. The best thing about being teenagers was that when you got in a group, things weren't so heavy. The weight of the world was still pressing down on their shoulders, but they were able to bypass that and have a good time. Because, for some reason the three of them were able to find humor in the simplest of things. And that was a good trait to have on Earth, when things were typically so grave. Laughing was easier than crying, after all.

After reconsidering her desire to face the real world, Melody waited for both Jasper and Monty to wake up and get moving before she left. It took the boys only a short amount of time to get enough motivation to begin digging through their piles of clothing. Melody may have coaxed them with sweet words, but that didn't matter, because in the end they were up and getting ready just as the sun was rising.

Leaving the boys to get dressed, Melody exited their tent and stepped into reality. Reality was rather bright, and Melody was forced to squint against the sudden onslaught of light as dawn was finally upon them. It took a couple of moments for Melody's eyes to adjust, and once they had she looked around the camp anxiously.

Melody found that many people were beginning to exit their tents already. Daylight wasn't usually wasted considering the fact that after dark no one was allowed outside of camp. There were so few hours in the day and they were typically spent gathering wood, transporting water from the creek, and taking care of things around the camp. Not to mention the fact that there were hunting parties that were frequently sent out and there was a lot of "training" required before then. One way or another they kept busy.

Melody didn't have a specific task. She typically came and went as she pleased, helping out when she was needed and fading into the background when she wasn't. No one really asked Melody for much, though. That was the luxury of handing people their asses when they needed it; no one tried to make you mind the rules. Carson -the boy who'd rattled Jasper and Octavia outside of the walls- was still sporting a split lip and a black eye. Melody's own face was still a faint yellow-ish color although her knuckles had long since healed. Maybe that was partially the reason people left her alone; it added to that "unapproachable" vibe that she apparently gave off.

_Now you're really unapproachable. _Melody thought bitterly, grimacing at the thought of what people may have heard around camp.

To Melody's surprise and relief, no one seemed to be looking at her any differently than before. When she walked slowly towards the dropship several people flashed her smiles as they went about their daily business. Melody suspected they were pity smiles after her recent episode the night before. No one had missed her emotional episode. They all knew she had come into camp crying and that she had refused to see anyone. And while most of them hardly knew her, they all still made the effort to show her some support.

Even big, badass criminals didn't like to see little girls cry.

Melody hadn't intended to make her way into the dropship. In fact, she had planned on avoiding their makeshift infirmary for as long as possible. She had planned on avoiding a certain _doctor _for as long as possible. Clarke's words had left a wound that was still fresh, but already beginning to scab over. And Melody realized now that she couldn't just let the girl get away with the things she said. Confrontation was messy, but it was necessary.

The dropship was relatively empty when Melody walked in. Aside from Clarke there was only one patient who was just getting stitched up. The thing about knives and children was the fact that they didn't mix well. The boy could have only been fourteen or fifteen years old, with a huge gash across his leg from where someone had hit _him_ instead of the target. The boy was taking it like a champ though, with only a slight grimace as Clarke addressed the wound.

"I'll be right with…Oh. Melody." Clarke looked up from her work and a frown immediately marred her sharp features. As those blue eyes darkened, Melody immediately felt herself tense.

"Yeah. Me." Melody said, arms crossing over her chest as she moved further into the room and settled herself into one of the hammocks. Gently, she rocked herself back and forth as she watched Clarke continue her work.

Although noticeably flustered, the young medic continued to put the finishing touches on the boy's wound. And despite Melody's intrusive gaze, Clarke didn't screw up even once. In a matter of minutes she had finished up with the boy and sent him on his merry way, after he promised to take it easy. As if _that_ was going to happen. He was a teenage boy and the world was his playground.

It was just the two of them now, face-to-face. Clarke was standing in the center of the room, wearily watching Melody. And Mel sat in one of the strung-up hammocks with her intense gaze pin-pointed on Clarke. No words were spoken for a while as they just stared at each other, as if sizing up their opponents.

Melody had to admit that she didn't see Clarke in quite the same light anymore. While she greatly cared for the blonde doctor, Melody no longer felt as she had in the beginning. There wasn't that magnetism anymore. For the first few weeks Melody had felt drawn towards her friends by some unseen force. Jasper, Monty, Finn, Octavia, and Clarke had attracted Melody to them like a moth to a flame. It was because of their ability to accept -not reject- broken things. It was because of their ability to see _beyond_ the flaws of the world and accept the beauty that still laid there. And now, Melody slowly felt that magnetism fade.

It was no secret that Melody admired Clarke's courage. The girl was strong and she was intelligent and she had all the traits of a good leader. There was no one that Melody would rather follow. But Clarke could also be rather close-minded and blind to her own inexperience. While Melody saw people as being complex and capable of change, Clarke allowed herself to identify them by a single error. The words '_forgive and forget_' were not in Clarke's vocabulary. She did not seem capable of letting go; it didn't appear like she even _wanted_ to. And for that, Melody detested her.

"Did you come for an apology?" Clarke wondered aloud. From her weary tone of voice, it was obvious that even if Melody sought an apology she wasn't going to get one.

Melody immediately curbed that suggestion. "I don't want an apology, Clarke." She insisted with a shake of her head. And it was the truth; _I'm sorry_ was just something most people said to make themselves feel better. "I'm not here to beg you for forgiveness. And I'm not going to ask you to be my friend. I'm going to tell you exactly what I think and then I'm going to leave."

Surprise flicked across Clarke's face at Melody's straight-forward words. The only time Melody "spoke her mind" around Clarke was whenever someone had made her angry and Melody was laying into them. In fact, Melody and Clarke had never really spoken as friends. Only as allies working towards the same goal. This new side of Melody -the side willing to make herself known with strong words rather than strong actions- was a side that Clarke had never seen.

"Alright." Agreed Clarke with an accepting nod. "I'm willing to hear whatever you need to say to me."

"The listen up." Melody advised boldly, not bothering to waste even a moment as she _finally _got the chance to voice her feelings. "First of all, the fact that you accused me of pretending to be your friend, which I_ wasn't_, pissed me off. And then you compared me to the _council._ The Ark's personal assembly of Grim Reapers." The disgust that laced Melody's tone was ill-disguised as she spoke about the members of the council.

Clarke opened her mouth to object almost immediately. "You-"

"Killed a guy." Melody cut her off abruptly. "Yeah, I know."

"And I'm supposed to forgive you for that?" Clarke's voice was almost angry as she stared at Melody. Angry and hurt; two emotions that Melody knew all too well.

"It isn't your place to _forgive _me, Clarke. On the Ark, I didn't know you and you didn't know me. Whatever happened up there was long before we became friends." Pointed out Melody with a frown. "You either accept me or you don't."

A rush of pride shot through Melody as she found herself talking with reason and determination. It was the first time she'd had a rational conversation with...well, _anyone. _Melody had never been the type of girl who wanted to talk about her feelings. But with the help of Monty and Jasper, Melody realized that some things had to be said. If she wasn't honest then how could she expect honesty in return? And Melody had to admit that discussing things was a bit nicer than just attacking anyone who pissed her off.

"And if I can't accept what you've done?" Clarke asked quietly. Her voice had taken on a strange, gentle tone that Melody hadn't heard before. "Then we can't be friends?"

A frown now marred Melody's own face as she slowly shook her head. "If you can't accept _all_ of me, then don't try to accept any of me."

"It's not that simple, Melody." Objected Clarke. "Some things just can't be overlooked."

"You seem to overlook things when it's convenient." Melody said coolly, her eyebrows raising slightly as if daring Clarke to deny it.

"What things?" Clarke was truly puzzled and defensive when she lowered her eyebrows and turned her lips downwards into a scowl.

"Betrayals." The one-word response was simple.

Clarke frowned and shook her head, still confused by Melody's vagueness. "I don't know what you're talking about, Melody."

"I'm talking about the fact that Bellamy was willing to steal that radio _after _you warned us the Ark was running out of oxygen." Melody's voice was sharper than intended as her anger threatened to boil over the edges of its boundaries. "And how you still look at Finn like he's God's greatest gift when he _used_ you to pass the time before his girlfriend got down here." That one was harsh, but Melody felt that she needed to say it. Clarke had to see her double-standards.

Clarke's eyes darkened with anger and her mouth formed an "o" shape as if she were surprised or offended by Melody's words. Probably both, considering the fact that Melody had blatantly accused her of playing favorites.

"That's not fair…" Clarke's protest was weak. And Melody understood why it wasn't _fair_; because Clarke loved Finn and Bellamy was her co-captain. In Clarke's eyes, the two of them were too important to do anything that resulted in her seeing them as less than what they really were. Whereas Melody was just another delinquent.

"What isn't fair is how you treat me versus how you treat them." Melody wasn't going to back down on this matter. Clarke was too stubborn to see things from Melody's perspective and Melody was too proud to be silenced now. "If you don't want to be my friend, I won't blame you. But you need to get off of your high horse and realize that Earth is not the Ark. Down here we're all pretty equal. Don't let the title get to your head, _Princess." _

Satisfied with her argument, Melody stood up and exited the dropship. A feeling of pride and accomplishment washed over the girl and she couldn't stop the wide grin that formed on her face. It was then that she realized exactly what she was doing; slaying her demons. Melody was going toe-to-toe with her past and she was kicking its sorry ass.

_Melody one, Demons zero. _

Caught up in the rush that accompanied Melody's discussion with Clarke, she hardly noticed the fact that Bellamy Blake was approaching her at a brisk pace. Green eyes were filled with laughter as they trailed slowly around the camp before coming to a stop on Bellamy's solemn looking face. Melody's expression sobered immediately and her defense mechanisms were in place once more. Hard eyes, a weary frown, and both arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Although she didn't want to be faced with Bellamy so soon after confronting Clarke, Melody knew that she couldn't run away from the boy. She had woken up this morning with a determination to face reality once more. And that's what she was going to do. With her chin raised proudly, Melody moved forward swiftly and met Bellamy in the middle.

"Melody." His voice was gruff as he greeted her with a rather neutral expression.

"Bellamy." Melody tried to mimic his monotone, but it was rather hard. Instead she just sounded like someone who was half-way between annoyed and vexed. "What do you want?"

The male wasn't surprised by her bluntness. Partially because that was how Melody acted all of the time, and partially because Jasper had warned him that Melody was going to come back fiercer than ever. And if Bellamy was being completely honest, he liked the more savage side of Melody Pond.

Instead of responding to her question, Bellamy just wrapped his fingers around Melody's wrist and tugged her off to the side of the dropship. Melody didn't bother to resist, because she was more than used to the way Bellamy took it upon himself to man-handle her. It was one of his many annoying habits. Another annoying habit of his was how he always ended up scolding her when they were out of the public's eye.

"I didn't do anything, Bellamy. And I'm not in the mood." Melody said immediately, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice this time. "So if you're here to lecture me, you've got another thing coming." The warning was serious. Melody was no longer willing to put up with being treated like a child. She was expected to act like an adult and therefore she would be given the proper amount of credibility and respect. Otherwise, she would revert to her juvenile and violence-prone ways.

Bellamy rolled his eyes and released Melody. "Calm down, tiger." He said lowly, mimicking her defensive position; cautious eyes, tight-lipped frown, and crossed arms. "I brought you here to apologize."

Melody couldn't help the unladylike snort that she uttered. "_Riiiight_. And you have something against public apologies?" Demanded Melody with a wide sweep of her arm towards the secluded area and the miles of forest that surrounded them on three sides. Granted there was a wall between them and the majority of the forest, but that didn't make much of a difference; seclusion was seclusion.

"No one would know why I was apologizing." Bellamy scowled at Melody and shrugged his shoulders slightly. It was as if the thought of bringing their problems into the middle of camp had never even occurred to him.

"Well let's get this over with." Melody said simply, pausing briefly to roll up the sleeves of her borrowed jacket. The material was loose on her small form, but the jacket was comfortable and it smelled good, like Jasper. The scent was clinging to Melody and it smelled of pine, green and happiness; three of Melody's favorite things.

The older male stilled suddenly and looked down at Melody with a frown. His eyes ran over her body shortly as he took in her appearance for what must have been the first time. Like any other day, Melody was dressed simply. She wore a pair of blue jeans, her black combat boots, and a black jacket over her faded tee-shirt.

"What are you wearing?" Bellamy wondered aloud, his eyes lingering on the jacket for just a moment longer than anything else.

"A jacket." Melody deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his nosiness.

"Where's _your_ jacket?" The tone in which Bellamy asked the question was almost annoyed. As if _he_ should be the one annoyed. One hand shot out and wrapped itself up within the offending article of clothing; Melody's borrowed jacket.

"In the tent." Melody scowled at Bellamy and took a step backwards, causing the male to release his grip on her clothes. "I borrowed Jasper's. It's a little big." Melody shrugged her shoulders in explanation before shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Do you need a new one?" Asked Bellamy abruptly. "There's extras in the dropship."

"Trying to buy my affections, are you?" Melody's eyebrows were raised in both amusement and surprise. Since when did Bellamy Blake _care_ so much? "Well, it isn't going to work. Now why am I here?"

"You need a jacket that fits you properly, Melody. It's almost winter and it's going to get cold. Unless you have your own jacket you're going to freeze. Besides, you shouldn't be-"

"Aha!" Exclaimed Melody as she pointed an accusing finger in Bellamy's direction. "I knew this was a lecture."

A loud huff escaped Bellamy and it was obvious that he was trying to keep his cool. "Melody, I'm just saying-"

"No, Bellamy. _I'm just saying._" Melody's voice was now more serious as she frowned up at him. "You can't just flip a switch and suddenly be my friend. So say your piece and then leave me alone."

Bellamy's gaze darkened in irritation as he looked down at the much smaller girl. Melody returned his glare tit-for-tat. She wasn't just some little girl and she refused to be treated as such. If she wanted to freeze to death this winter, that was her own business. It wasn't Bellamy's place to care for her. You aren't allowed to care about someone when it conveniences you and screw them over when it doesn't.

"I'm sorry, Melody." Bellamy's voice was low and as sincere as possible. "I shouldn't have said anything about the doctor. I didn't know that he…I didn't know what he did to deserve it." The way Bellamy had to choose his words carefully clued Melody in one what he was referencing.

Melody wasn't surprised that Jasper had told Bellamy about Jason. She hadn't asked him not to, after all. And in a way, Melody was kind of glad that he'd done it. She wanted Bellamy to know just how badly he'd screwed up, but she would never have admitted to him what happened with Jason. And after everything Jasper had done for her in the last day -standing up to Bellamy, consoling her, and being her shoulder to cry on- Melody couldn't find it in her heart to be angry with him.

"Well he _did_ deserve it. And now you know." Melody said, her voice angry although inside she was more ashamed than anything. Ashamed that something so horrible and vile had happened to her. Ashamed that she hadn't been able to stop it. Ashamed that it gave Bellamy Blake a reason to pity her. "I don't want your pity, Bellamy. So if that's why you're here-"

"I don't _pity_ you, Melody." Bellamy's voice was loud and zealous when he cut her off. "I applaud you. You've been through hell, but you don't let jackasses like me stop you."

The words surprised Melody and caused her eyes to widen slightly. Was that…a compliment? Melody replayed the words in her head and decided it was. First Bellamy was being all worried about her jacket and now he was complimenting her? Jasper's words must have had one helluva impact.

"I want to be friends, Melody." He admitted, looking at her with _the look._ The gentle and kind look that had once made Melody's heart flutter. Now, it only made her skeptical. "I know I've been a dick lately, but I wasn't just pretending to be your friend. I'm going to try and make it up to you…by buying your affections."

Bellamy's serious look faded slightly and a smile formed on his face as he echoed Melody's earlier words. His eyes were bright with mischief and Bellamy wore the wickedest grin that Melody had ever seen. Before she could even contemplate what any of it might mean, Bellamy was reaching behind him and pulling off whatever he'd strapped to his back.

Melody's green eyes lit up with interest when Bellamy presented the hand-crafted recurve bow. It was a light color, and Melody instantly recognized it as made from the redwood trees that surrounded the camp. The design was rather simple; the upper and lower parts of the bow curved outwards and then towards each other, leaving a small indentation in the middle. That was where you gripped the bow. The shape of the bow reminded Melody of a lazy and exaggerated "w." The string was drawn taut, with just enough slack so that it could be pulled back and loaded with one of the metal-tipped arrows Bellamy had produced from inside his jacket. Engraved on the "handle" was a four letter word; _Pond._

The bow and the arrows -along with the hollowed out piece of wood that was made into a sheath- were all made by hand. There was no other explanation. It wasn't like they had been equipped with weapons before being sent to Earth. Somehow the bow managed to be perfectly smooth and proportioned despite the fact that it was a tree just the day before. And the arrows were perfect; thin but not _too_ thin, heavy but not _too_ heavy, and crafted skillfully enough to strike an enemy with pin-point accuracy. The sheath was a hollowed out piece of firewood with the strap of a seatbelt attached to it, so it could be slung over one shoulder.

In short, everything was perfect.

"You _made_ this?" Asked Melody, awestruck.

"Do you like it?" Bellamy looked a bit worried, as if he thought she might reject the gift.

"Are you kidding?" Melody from the bow in her hands to Bellamy, and then back to the bow. It was an amazing and unexpected treat. "It's beautiful."

_He can buy my affections any time, _thought Melody to herself.

Relief washed over Bellamy's face and he nodded his head happily. "Good. I was thinking this afternoon I could show you-"

"No." Melody cut Bellamy off mid-sentence and shook her head.

"No?" His eyebrows were raised in surprise. "But you don't know how to use it."

"I'll figure it out." Melody insisted softly, not able to stop herself from smiling down at the bow and arrows. It was just such an amazing gift and Melody truly appreciated it.

"Alright." Allowed Bellamy, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "You know where to find me if you need help. No use against a grounder if you can't work it."

"Thanks, Bellamy." Melody slung the sheath and arrows over her shoulder as she spoke. "But I think I can protect myself."

|oOo|

It was mid-afternoon when Melody finally decided to test out her new bow.

After showing it off to a grumpy Jasper and an excited Monty, Melody had tucked the bow into her tent and hidden it well. A bow was a valuable weapon to have and some of the campers were known to have sticky fingers. And some of them were just _mean_. Envy could cause people to do horrible things, like toss amazing bows into deadly campfires. And although she gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, Melody would hate to have all of Bellamy's hard work go down the drain.

Now enveloped in the seclusion of the forest near their "graveyard", Melody decided it would be fun to test out the new weapon. She had to remind herself over and over again that a weapon was not a toy; it was not for playing with. It was supposed to be for protecting herself and -if she could ever get the hand of it- hunting. But hey, it was _her_ bow and she made the rules, so she could bend them.

Standing about thirty or forty yards away from a tall, thick tree, Melody slid an arrow out of the sheath. The arrow's weight was unfamiliar in her palm, so Melody held it for a few moments and attempted to get used to the feeling. Hopefully in the future she wouldn't need so much preparation, but this was only her first time. Melody wanted to take it slow and savor every moment.

Once she'd gotten used to the feel of the arrow, Melody slowly lifted the bow until it was perpendicular with her target. Being left-handed, she was forced to hold the bow in her opposite hand, with her right hip pointed in the direction of the target. A slow smile spread across Melody's face when she lowered the bow once more and loaded the arrow onto the string. Once the arrow was in place, Melody lifted the bow again until it was in line with her shoulders.

One eye slipped closed as Melody looked at the target in front of her. Locking in on the exact point that she wanted to hit, Melody took a deep breath and drew the string back. Each moment brought the arrow closer and closer to Melody's cheek. Once the bow was pushing into her palm and the string was drawn as much as possible, Melody took a deep breath. Then, she let the arrow fly forward.

The wooden arrow was quick and efficient as it sliced through the air, but the shot had been horrible inaccurate. Rather than hitting the base of the tree as intended, the arrow flew off into the woods beside it. The sound of the arrow falling to the forest floor was audible even from where Melody was standing.

"Damn it!" Mel cursed loudly as she ran forward to retrieve the arrow gone astray. After a few moments of digging around in the forest floor, Melody produced the arrow. The metal tip had embedded itself deep within the soil and she had to pull it free.

Melody was glad that the arrows were sturdy and solid. Bellamy really seemed to know what he was doing when it came to crafting the bow and arrows. Melody wasn't sure how he knew what he was doing, considering the fact that their only weapons on the Ark were guns. Nevertheless, she was glad the boy was useful for something other than destroying her life.

_Ease up, Melody_, she scolded herself light in her mind while walking back towards her starting point. _He __**did**__ go through all the trouble to make you this bow. _

Melody was grateful for the gift, but she was still angry with Bellamy. Actually, she was both angry and thankful. Angry that he had revealed her deepest and darkest secret, but thankful for the fact that he'd forced Melody to confront her demons. Without Bellamy's help, Melody never would have been able to start forgiving herself for what she'd done to Jason Evans. _But _without Bellamy's big mouth, she never would have had to forgive herself in the first place. Melody was torn between wanting to strangle him and wanting to thank him.

_Practice what you preach. You're the one that told Clarke to get off of her high horse. Maybe you should get off of yours. _

Melody hadn't thought of herself as being on a "high horse" before. But as she thought about it now, she realized that maybe she _did_ act a bit conceited where Bellamy was concerned. Melody spent so much of her time angry at Bellamy for declaring himself as their superior leader that she had treated him as if he were below her. Melody had acted as if she were waiting for someone better to come along and lead them properly. And nobody -not even _Bellamy Blake_- deserved to be treated like they were disposable.

Melody decided in that moment that she would forgive Bellamy. Not only had he apologized, but he had given her a gift to show how sorry he was. And coming from Bellamy, the guy who cared only about himself, that was a big step. So maybe Melody could take a big step of her own and decide to let the past rest where it belonged; _in the past._ There had to be a first time for everything, right?

"Okay, gotta focus." Melody scolded herself with a scowl as she faced her target once more. Now was not the time to have her thoughts running rampant.

It took five more shots before one of her arrows lodged itself into the trunk of the tree. There was enough power behind each shot, but Melody's aim was not very good. Just when she thought she had lined up the perfect shot, the arrow turned slightly and threw everything off track. Just when Melody was thinking she might have to ask for help, one of the arrows stuck. Sure, she didn't hit her _target_, but she did hit the tree.

It was a start.

Melody spent the whole afternoon shooting her bow. As time went on, Melody improved a bit. But there was obviously something missing, because she was almost never able to hit the tree. The majority of the day was wasted by Melody having to run back and forth between the place where she shot and the crazy places her arrows ended up. The arrows ended up in the ground, in other trees, one time her arrow just kind of fell to the ground….Mel needed a bit more practice.

The sun had already gone down by the time Melody decided she was finished for the day, with little to no progress achieved. The only reason Melody decided to call it quits was because she could no longer see the tree in front of her. There was always the option of getting a torch, but Melody was exhausted and her arms were sore.

The trek back to camp was short.

When Melody arrived, there was a small group gathered in the center of the campsite. Bellamy was in the middle of the group, barking orders at several others who were with him. Melody noticed that amongst the group were two familiar faces; Finn and Jasper. Worry immediately coursed through her body and Melody picked up the pace.

She was just reaching the crowd as it dispersed. The handful of campers were quickly heading towards where the extra weapons and supplies were kept. Melody's heart sank as she faced Bellamy, who looked angry but also kind of worried. The worst thoughts were running through her mind as she tried to think of what could have happened in the few hours she'd been training with her bow.

"Hey." Melody was a bit breathless from the half-run half-jog she'd done in order to reach him. "What's going on?"

Bellamy stared at Melody for a few minutes, his face hard and unreadable. Gone was the playful and happy boy who had proudly presented Melody with her bow. In his place was Bellamy, the leader, who hard to remain strong in front of everybody. Melody's frown only intensified as she looked at Bellamy, who remained silent.

"Bellamy." She urged anxiously, her voice raising slightly with worry. "What happened?"

His dark brown eyes raked over Melody's face once more before shifting slightly to her shoulder. Melody's gaze followed his, landing on the bow that was tucked neatly into the sheath, right beside its arrows. Her heart was hammering when she pulled the bow out once more, looking up at him curiously. Melody's other hand went behind her back and retrieved an arrow, before loading it onto the lowered bow's string. That seemed to have been the right thing to do, because Bellamy's gaze snapped towards her eyes and he finally spoke.

"I hope you know how to use that thing." Bellamy's voice was grave as he frowned at Melody. "Octavia's missing."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The vacant tent had never felt more cold and unwelcoming than it did in the wake of Octavia's disappearance.

Melody sat on the edge of her makeshift bed, eyes fixated upon the untouched pile of bedding that belonged to her tent-mate. Each blanket was perfectly folded and lain in the middle of Octavia's cot. A single pillow resided at the head, and near the foot of the bed was a pair of jeans and Octavia's old, scuffed up sneakers. A red hair ribbon was laying on top of the folded piles of clothing.

It appeared that the tent had remained completely untouched overnight.

There was a feeling of dread deep within Melody's stomach as she thought about Octavia and what might have happened to her. The first explanation that popped into Melody's head was the simplest; _grounders._ The savage group was an unpredictable and ever-looming threat. It would have been all too easy for them to capture Octavia. And it would have been even easier for them to kill her.

The second and more optimistic explanation was that Octavia had simply gotten lost. Although it was forbidden to leave camp after dark, Octavia had never been one to follow the rules. More nights than not she would sneak into camp long after everyone else had fallen asleep and crawl into bed as if she'd been there the whole time. Melody knew the truth, though. Octavia spent the majority of her time chasing the many mysteries that plagued the Earth. Once, the girl had confided in Melody and admitted that she especially cared for the butterflies that flocked in a field near camp.

Death by butterflies; it didn't sound likely.

A few weeks ago, Melody wouldn't have jumped at the chance to find Octavia Blake. In fact, she probably wouldn't have cared if the girl ever returned. As horrible as it was, during those first few days Melody had more often than not found herself wishing that Octavia Blake was out of the picture. Not only had the girl stolen Jasper's affections, but she had unknowingly put him in harm's way; _twice. _Melody would have been glad to see her go.

But now, things were different.

Melody had not only grown to tolerate Octavia's company, but she had also grown to enjoy it. She found herself looking forward to the few minutes they spent alone together rather than dreading them. Mel discovered that not only was Octavia funny, but she was intelligent and passionate as well. Like Melody, Octavia was willing to stand up for what she believed in and voice her opinion no matter what the outcome. Octavia was strong and courageous and although she'd been through hell growing up, she'd come out on top; Octavia and Melody were like two peas in a pod.

"We'll find you, Octavia." Whispered Melody softly as she moved forward and picked up the red ribbon. Melody rubbed the piece of material between her index finger and thumb a few times before getting an idea.

Melody bent over and flipped all of her hair downwards. In this position, the mass of red hair dangled in front of her face and reached nearly to her knees. With one hand, Melody gathered her hair and gripped it tightly. With the other, she began to smooth all of the stray pieces into what would become a ponytail. When she straightened up once more, the hair was piled neatly on the top of her head and secured by the crimson colored ribbon. A few loose pieces of orange hair framed her face, but the majority of it was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

_For luck, _she told herself silently, with a grave face.

Melody was just emerging from her tent when the small search party marched by, all of them solemn faced and serious. In the lead was Bellamy, looking as grave as ever while he carried a torch in one hand and kept the other on his hip, near the tomahawk that he carried with him at all times. The other campers were similarly armed, with whatever knives and spears they'd been able to make with the wreckage from the dropship.

Bellamy's brown eyes fell upon Melody and they widened slightly in surprise. As the others continued to move forward, Bellamy broke away from the group and slowly began walking in Melody's direction. Letting the tent flap fall shut behind her, Melody bent down and quickly zipped it closed. When she got to her feet once more, there was Bellamy was standing directly in front of her, looking down upon the girl with interest.

Melody asked, "Are we ready?"

"Just about." Replied Bellamy with a curt nod. "Are _you_ ready?" His voice was lower, softer, and Melody knew what implications laid within the words.

"I'm fine." Melody insisted shortly. "I've got my bow," she turned around to show him the weapon that was currently slung over her shoulder. Melody found that the only way to transport the bow was to slip it over her head so that the bow was pressed up against her back and the string was crossed diagonally over her chest. "And my arrows." She emphasized her words by gently rattling the sheath which she carried like she would an off-the-shoulder bag. "And a good luck charm." Melody added, bringing Bellamy's attention to the ribbon in her hair.

Bellamy nodded his head slowly, lips pursed as he looked over Melody. His dark eyes left no inch of her uninspected. Just when Melody felt his gaze was lingering a bit _too_ long, a slow smirk spread across Bellamy's face and his eyes lifted towards hers once more.

"What?" Melody was immediately defensive as her hands fluttered upwards, towards her hair. She gently ran her fingers down the length of her ponytail before scowling at Bellamy. "You don't like it." The words weren't a question; they were an assumption.

"No, it's not that." Bellamy assured her, shaking his head once in amusement. "You just look so…" His voice slowly trailed off as he looked at her once more, not able to stop himself from smirking once more.

"So _what_?" A small frown found its way onto Melody's face as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Bellamy's words gave no insight to whether he liked or disliked her change in appearance, which left Melody feeling helpless and unsure.

"Different._"_ Bellamy said finally, nodding his head in approval. "Good different." He added, as an afterthought.

"Oh." Melody was surprised by his words. How different could she really look? Sure, she'd done up her hair. And she was currently armed to the teeth like a woman at war. But other than that, she looked the same as ever.

"Yeah."

The two of them stood there looking at each other for a few moments, neither one sure what to say next. Melody wasn't used to receiving compliments, as was proven when Jasper had said nice things to her this morning. Melody's first instinct was to laugh or brush it off or turn it into a joke, but she knew that Bellamy didn't just _give out_ compliments. So, she remained silent and prayed that he wouldn't open his mouth again.

Melody's prayers were answered when Bellamy's name was called. As if remembering what situation they were in, Bellamy immediately sobered and walked away from Melody without another word. A sigh of relief escaped from between Melody's lips as she slowly followed after him. A nice Bellamy was an unsettling Bellamy.

_Awkward silence averted. _

Melody walked the last few feet to join the group that was slowly forming. At first, Melody didn't understand why everyone was talking excitedly amongst themselves. It wasn't until she heard the words '_It's so beautiful_' that Melody's attention shifted from the group to the sky, where it looked like a million shimmering lights were raining down from space.

At first, Melody thought it might be a meteor shower. It kind of looked like the pictures she had seen in the books on the Ark. But there was something off about it; something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't until Raven spoke that Melody understood what they were seeing.

"They didn't work." Raven said quietly, staring up at the sky. "They didn't see the flares."

"A meteor shower tells you that?" Questioned Bellamy.

"It's not a meteor shower; it's a _funeral_."

For the first time, Melody noticed Clarke. "Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from The Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side." Explained the blonde doctor with a frown as she looked at Bellamy.

There was a few moments of silence before Raven's voice was raising and she was lunging for Bellamy. "This is all because of you!"

As the black-haired girl sprung forward, so did Melody, although Melody's movements were much more subtle than Raven's. Bellamy hardly even noticed when the small girl crept up to his side and stood there defensively, with her arms bared across her chest as usual. Melody's green eyes stared Raven down as the other girl was pulled backwards, away from them. The protective side of Melody was making an appearance once more, but this time it was _for_ Bellamy rather than against him. At this point Raven could either be a friend or a foe and Melody had to defend her own. And that included Bellamy Blake.

"I helped you _find_ the radio." Bellamy pointed out, giving Raven a look that said he clearly wasn't interested in fighting with her.

"Yeah, after you jacked it from my pod and trashed it!" She snapped, not bothering to hide the irritation and disgust in her voice.

"Yeah, he knows." Clarke told Raven quietly, giving Bellamy one of his disproving looks. "Now has to live with it."

"All I know," Bellamy looked slowly between Clarke and Raven. "Is that my sister is out there and I'm going to find her."

There was a few moments of silence before Melody spoke. "You coming or what?" She looked at Finn curiously, knowing that he was their best shot at finding Octavia. He was, after all, somewhat of a tracker.

"Yeah." Finn nodded his head and then turned towards Raven and Clarke, presumably to say his goodbyes.

"Move out!" Bellamy's voice was loud and booming as he turned away and began to lead the others out of camp.

Melody followed after him, not bothering to look back. She hadn't said her goodbyes, but there was no need. Melody was confident that they would be back in just a matter of hours, with Octavia in tow. She would barely be gone long enough for anyone to miss her. Besides, Finn and Jasper were tagging along. They alone took up half of her current friends list.

The group was mainly quiet as they walked. A few of the boys were rowdy and excited, but most of them understood the situation. They all knew that they could be setting out on a wild goose chase. Octavia's chances were slim…but no one dared to mention this aloud. Bellamy looked like he was barely able to contain himself as it was.

Melody tried to keep her thoughts positive. Whenever she began to doubt, all she had to do was reach up and touch the lucky hair ribbon that she'd taken from Octavia's things. The ribbon wasn't there by chance; Octavia almost never left it behind. Although the girl didn't wear her hair up, she'd told Melody once that the ribbon was symbolic; it was a part of her old life. A part of the old her. Octavia almost always kept it tied around her wrist or buried it within the pockets of her jacket. Melody was convinced that it was their good luck charm.

"You stood up for me." Out of nowhere, Bellamy's voice was suddenly breaking the silence that surrounded them. When Melody tilted her head upwards, she saw that he was already looking at her curiously.

"What?" Mel frowned as she looked up at Bellamy. Melody's thoughts were too absorbed in Octavia for her to be able to make sense of his unexpected words.

"With Raven. You were ready to protect me against her." Bellamy's words reminded Melody of how easily she'd stepped to his side and glared daggers at their newfound _friend. _The confused look on his face was actually almost comical.

"So?" Asked Melody. She shrugged one shoulder easily, as if to let him know that the whole thing really wasn't a big deal. It was just what she did; she protected people.

"_So_, why did you do it?" Bellamy demanded with an impatient roll of his eyes. "You're always against me. You've never been at my side." He pointed out, frowning in her direction.

"You never gave me a reason to be." Melody said simply with another lazy shrug.

"And now I have?" Wondered Bellamy, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Melody gave him a knowing smile and gently tapped her fingers against the sheath of arrows at her side. The gift, the precious gift, had been the first unselfish thing Bellamy Blake had ever done. "And now you have."

The two of them fell silent then, because no more words were needed. Melody had just confirmed that Bellamy was forgiven. He had sincerely apologized and given her the bow, which wasn't _just _a gift; it was an act of friendship. And in return, Melody was giving Bellamy the benefit of the doubt. When it came down to it, she had his back. And, on Earth, that was basically a blood-binding friendship.

It wasn't long before Finn and Jasper joined the little group. When Bellamy headed towards the front of the group, the two boys replaced him with one on each side of Melody. She smiled at each of them, but didn't slow her quick pace. There wasn't any time to waste, considering they had no daylight to work with. The only light they had were from the torches, and who knew how long it would last?

Walking briskly, Finn admired the bow that was strapped to Melody's chest. "Wow, Mel. Where did you get that?" He asked curiously, reaching out to run his fingers along the weapon's edge.

"Bellamy made it." Jasper answered Finn before Melody had the chance. "Kind of an '_I'm sorry I ruined your life_' gift." Explained Jasper acidly, her voice and scowl betraying his true feelings about the whole matter.

Melody elbowed Jasper sharply in the ribs with a scowl of her own. "Don't diss on my bow, Goggle Boy." She warned with a frown, feeling oddly protective over the inanimate object. "And if I can let it go, you can let it go." Mel insisted, her tone becoming softer towards the end.

"Don't hold your breath." Jasper muttered the words lowly.

Melody understood why Jasper was not willing to be as forgiving as she was. It was easy to handle your own pain, but it was agonizing to watch someone you cared about handle theirs. Melody knew the feeling of helplessness that came with watching others suffer. Eventually, Jasper would learn to forgive Bellamy for the pain he'd put their little group through. But in the meantime, he was content to silently stew and plot the King's downfall.

"It is a sick bow." Finn agreed, nodding his head as he admired it. "But are you sure about this, Melody? Trusting _Bellamy_?" The doubt he felt showed on his face. They'd all had ample reasons not to put their faith in their o fearless leader. And suddenly, all of those reasons swam to the surface.

"People change, Finn." Melody said with a shrug. "In case you haven't noticed, no one's perfect. We've all got our own dirty little secret." She reminded him seriously, her words long and drawn out as she stared up at Finn.

The male's gaze darkened immediately and he frowned down at Melody. "It's not the same thing, Melody."

"It isn't?" She challenged, raising her eyebrows slightly. "When you go digging up the past, people get hurt. I think we both know that."

"I didn't intentionally hurt anyone." Finn argued, shaking his head.

"Doesn't change the fact that you did."

"Raven and I have history, Melody. I can't just throw it all away because I've started something with Clarke."

"We all have history, Finn." She sighed softly and took a moment to carefully step over a fallen log in their path. "Things on Earth are different. _We're _different. And it's time to let go of the past and work towards our future."

"Why are you lecturing _me_, Melody? I'm not the one who just killed three hundred innocent people for my own gain." Finn snapped. His dark eyes were ablaze with anger as he scowled down at her.

"Oh really? You burned three months' worth of oxygen, Finn. If you hadn't gone on your little spacewalk, none of those people would have died today. They would still have had some time left."

Finn was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "I'm not a _murderer._"

Melody didn't miss the double meaning hidden within Finn's words.

It was surprising how little time it took Mel to whip the bow off of her back and have an arrow lined up with a clear shot at Finn's throat. Hard, green eyes glared daggers at the suddenly still boy as Melody's arm slowly drew back the string of her bow.

"Those are fighting words." She informed him, her voice as hard as steel. "Is that what you're looking for, Finn? A fight?"

The two of them stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"You're willing to draw on me, to _shoot_ me, for _Bellamy Blake_?" Finn looked both angry and confused as he stared down at Melody, his eyes flickering between her face and the loaded arrow. If Melody wasn't mistaken, he also looked slightly guilty for having dealt such a low blow. Or perhaps that was just a bit of fear shining through his otherwise composed expression.

"I'm not defending Bellamy, Finn. I'm defending _myself._" Melody said firmly, her fingers flexing slightly around the bow. "I don't like that word. _Murderer. _We have been pardoned. Down here, we're all equal now." The words were said slowly and strongly as Melody slowly lowered her bow. "Next time you throw that word in my face, be prepared to find out that I won't be so forgiving."

By the look on Finn's face, Melody had made her point clearly.

"Alright you two." Jasper drawled, finally stepping in between the two of them. "Now isn't the time to hash out your problems. We've got to find Octavia." He looked seriously between the two of them before placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Okay?"

Melody and Finn just looked at each other for a few moments and then nodded. Their petty drama could wait until after they got Octavia home, safe and sound. The three of them were silent then, no one wanting to say anything else that might rock the boat. It was obvious that neither one of the boys agreed with Melody's sudden infatuation with seeing the good in everybody. And Melody made it clear that she wouldn't be swayed from her decision to let bygones be bygones.

They were at a standstill.

The group walked for a long time before they saw the first sign of Octavia's disappearance. One of the boys somehow noticed it, a scrap of clothing, laying half-way down one of the steepest hills Melody had seen. The light from the torches didn't cover enough of the area to see the article of clothing properly, so it left them guessing.

"Is that Octavia's?" The boy asked curiously, leaning forward slightly to get a better look.

Melody moved forward and squinted into the night, trying to figure out if she'd ever seen the item before. From what she could tell, it was a belt. The material was dark blue, or maybe even black; Melody couldn't tell beneath the layers of dirt and grime that covered it. But there was definitely a buckle glistening when the light of the torches caught it just right.

"It might be." Melody said quietly, turning her frown towards the boy as she took a step closer to get a better look.

The grass was slippery, and the hill was steep. Melody felt herself lose her footing and she began to fall forward. Instinctively, her eyes snapped shut and Melody tensed, waiting for the impact. But it never came. At the last second, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back towards the rest of the group. Blinking up at the boy in the lead, Melody flashed him a thankful smile and slowly unwound herself from his grip.

"Get the rope." Bellamy commanded, looking between the boy and Melody for a few moments with a frown on his face. His eyes then shifted towards the hill, and his frown only grew.

Finn was also scowling when he looked at Bellamy. "What are you doing?"

"We need the rope to get back up." Explained Bellamy slowly, as one end of the rope was suddenly thrust into his hands.

And then, Bellamy was descending down the steep hill, holding onto nothing but a thin rope that they'd brought along in case of such situations. He hurried down as quickly as possible, but it was a challenge. When he finally managed to reach the spot where the belt lay, Bellamy's breathing was heavy from the amount of effort it took just to descend the hill.

"It's hers!" He called up to them as he stared down at the bit of Octavia's clothing. Bellamy tucked it into his back pocket quickly before looking up at them. "I'm going to go all the way down." And then Bellamy began to continue downwards.

The others stood at the top of the hill for a few moments, looking around at one another nervously as they debated whether or not to follow after their brave leader. For a search and rescue team, they weren't very keen on the "rescue" part of it all. No one moved forward for a solid minute.

It was Melody and Jasper who followed after Bellamy first, breaking away from the group in unison. Jasper handed his torch to Finn and gripped the rope, before turning to look at Melody. She flashed him a confident smile and nodded her head. And then, her eyes scanned across the rest of the group for a moment before landing on Finn. They narrowed slightly and Melody's voice was just as pointed when she began to speak.

"We-"

"_Are Apache_." Finn said decisively, finishing her words easily. His gaze broke away from Melody's and he looked at Jasper with a small frown. "I really wish you never would have said that."

The corners of Mel's lips lifted upwards as she gripped the rope with both hands. She hadn't been going to say it. In fact, she'd been going to simply tell him that they owed it to Octavia to find her. Whatever their differences may be at the moment, they needed to come together in order to bring Octavia home.

Melody decided that she liked the sound of Finn's words much better than her own. Rather than go on with the little speech she'd prepared in her mind, Mel just smiled and let Finn's words echo in her head for a few moments.

_We are Apache. _

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, Melody began to follow slowly behind Jasper as the two of them descended the hill. It hadn't looked like much from the top, but now that they were scaling the hill, she realized just how mountainous and steep it was. It took everything Melody had to not stumble forward and fall flat on her face.

They weren't even hallway down the hill when she felt a slight pull on the rope, letting her know that others had begun to follow suit. A smile spread across Melody's face and she felt the oddest sort of pride. For being a bunch of "criminals", they sure as hell didn't play the part very well. Their society had labeled them as dangerous people that threatened the Ark. Melody saw what lay beneath the surface. Perhaps they _were_ criminals by definition, but they were also so much more. And with each passing day they continued to prove everyone on that flying hunk of metal wrong; they _would_ amount to something.

Melody and Jasper reached the ground in no time, taking great care to not fall on their faces as the incline progressed down to the very last step. Jasper leapt the last few steps, landing in sort of a messy crouch at the base of the hill. Melody followed suit, stumbling for only a step or two before Jasper reached out and steadied her.

"Whatta bitch." Melody mumbled beneath her breath, scowling at the hill. She was breathless just from the amount of effort it took to scale the rugged mound of dirt. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like when they had to return…

"It'll be worse to climb up." Warned Jasper, echoing Melody's thoughts with a soft sigh.

"Ugh." Groaned Melody as she gently rubbed her fingers across her side, already anticipating the pain she would be in before the day was through.

Why was physical activity so strenuous?

"Stop whining and get over here."

The two of them seemed to notice Bellamy at the same time. They could see the outline of his body knelt down as he studied something in the dirt. Melody and Jasper exchanged a curious look before they began to move forward quickly. When Bellamy heard their approach, he straightened slightly and frowned, before turning his attention back towards the ground.

It was then that Melody saw what had stopped him. Splattered across the dirt was a dark-red liquid that could only have been blood. There wasn't a lot of it; just a few drops here and there. But it was enough to get Melody's heart racing and her stomach churning as horrible thoughts entered her mind. Wherever Octavia was, she was hurt and scared.

"Someone else was here."

Melody's head snapped upwards when Bellamy's voice reached her ears. Someone else? Bellamy noticed the look she was giving him, and he extended one arm to point at something in the dirt. When Melody leaned forward she realized what it was; a set of footprints. Large prints; much too large to have belonged to Octavia.

"The prints are deeper going that way." Finn pointed ahead of them, where the footprints continued on for as far as they could see. He was quiet for a few more moments before adding, "He was carrying her."

Everyone took a few moments to process the words. Octavia wasn't just missing; she had been _taken._ Like Melody had feared, it was the grounders. There was no other explanation. And the evidence in front of them was adding up fairly quickly. Melody's heart was beating at a thousand miles a minute as dread consumed her. If Octavia had been taken, then she was as good as dead.

"If they took her, she's alive." Jasper said quietly, giving Melody his best reassuring smile. The words did little to comfort her. "Like when they took me."

"When they took you, they strung you up as bait." Melody's voice was sharp, showing just how much panic she was truly feeling. The words '_strung you up as bait_' tasted bitter on Melody's tongue. It was an expression that she truly hated, but she felt she had to use.

"_Live _bait." Finn added, looking between the two of them slowly.

The words only caused Melody to fear for her friend even more. Standing up, Melody briskly began to follow the tracks in the opposite direction of the boys. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of footsteps and knew they were following behind her.

And as always, Melody felt unstoppable with the three of them by her side.

The trek into grounder territory was not long, nor was it easy. They followed the trail that Finn had managed to pick up on. Their eyes stayed glued to the ground as they traced the footsteps of the grounder that had taken Octavia. The ground was soft and moist, so the footprints were neatly printed into the mud, like a map. They noted that the man had carried her for a long time. _Too _long. Melody wondered why he would carry Octavia's body back so far just to kill her.

_The grounders are crazy,_ Melody reminded herself sternly, when she began to question their motives. They were crazy and unpredictable.

That much was proven when they finally came upon grounder terrain.

"I don't speak grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means keep out."

Not a single person disagreed with Finn's words.

The endless amount of decaying skeletons hanging from the trees in front of them definitely seemed to say, '_Keep out._' Tied to the trunks of nearly every tree, the carcasses were obviously meant as a warning to intruders.

Melody's green eyes shifted towards Bellamy, who was staring straight ahead. There were several complaints going up among their small group as several people insisted that they weren't going any further. Melody's temper flared and she turned her head to glare at the lot of them, silently cursing them for their lack of courage.

"This shit is dangerous, Mel." A boy -Kaleb, maybe?- looked at Melody with a frown on his face. "We could get killed."

"Octavia could already have beenkilled."

"Well then there's nothing we can do."

Melody lunged. Jasper deflected her attack and all eyes fell onto Mel's small, wriggling form as she attempted to escape from his strong grip. Kaleb looking at her wearily, no doubt remembering how Carson had looked after a run-in with Melody. It didn't take much to set Melody off. And when someone spoke so causally about the death of her friends -or death in general, really- Melody found herself getting more worked up than usual.

"We could _bury _her. We could bring her _home._" Countered Melody, giving Kaleb a disbelieving look as she finally stilled in Jasper's arms. "You'd want the same thing."

The blond haired boy shook his head slightly and his frown deepened. "I wouldn't want you all risking your life for me."

"But we would." Finn interjected softly, looking between Melody and the other boy.

"It's what we do." Added Melody. "We protect our own."

"Enough." Commanded Bellamy. "Go back if you want." And then quieter, so quiet that Melody didn't even know if she heard it, he added, "My sister, my responsibility."

The amount of people that walked away caused Melody to gawk. Sheepishly, they slinked back into the forest from which they'd just came. The group went from fifteen to seven or eight easily; at least half of their members had chickened out at the last minute. They were cowards, deserters, and Melody felt angry as she stared at their retreating backsides.

But there was nothing she could do about it now.

"I'd walk into hell to find her." Proclaimed Jasper, before he followed after Bellamy.

"I think we just did." Muttered Finn.

"Brave faces, boys." Melody said quietly as she passed between the two of them. "When you dance with the devil, you don't get to pick the tune."

In other words: _we're playing by their rules, now._

Melody took the torch from Finn's hand and moved forward briskly. She followed behind Bellamy, channeling her anger and fear into motivation. Melody would find Octavia, and then she might cry a bit, and _then _she would give Kaleb a talking to that he'd _never_ forget.

_No, Mel. Gotta grow up. _Argued a voice inside of Melody's head.

"Adulthood is overrated." Whispered Melody to her inner monologue as she lifted her chin determinedly and marched on. "And violence is necessary."

Apparently Bellamy heard Melody's words, because he suddenly whipped around so fast that Melody barely had time to take a step back before she set him alight with her torch. Big, green eyes blinked up at Bellamy curiously as he stared down at her with hard eyes.

"Not everyone is like you, Melody."

"Obviously. Or else the world would be a better place." She retorted immediately, the words flying out of her mouth before she could think better of them.

Bellamy smiled. "For some reason you feel the need to try and save us all." Melody remained silent at his observation, which was fine because he continued on before she could have protested. "Some of us are too far gone, Melody."

_You're redeemable, Bellamy. _She thought in her head, wishing that he could see what she was beginning to see. He wasn't a bad man; he was misguided and misunderstood.

"Live as a man. Die as a man. _Become_ a man." Melody said simply, staring up at Bellamy. "If I die today, I die a man. If _they_ die, they die as cowards." Whatever fate lay ahead, Melody would forever be more of a "man" than any of the boys who were hightailing it back to camp. And that was impressive, considering her rather feminine anatomy.

"You would die a woman." He corrected softly, reaching out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Melody allowed him to do so, her eyes darting swiftly between his hand and his face as the piece of hair was tamed once more.

"It's just a quote." Melody said quietly, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Man, woman; what difference did it make? It was more about honor than anything.

Bellamy's tongue flicked out and glided swiftly across his lower lip in a restless, almost nervous motion. "And if I die?" He asked quietly. "Do I die as a man, or do I die as a tyrant?"

The two of them were oblivious to the several pairs of eyes that had fallen upon them. Everyone looked on with interest, surprised to see that there was no screaming or fighting involved in their conversation. Two specific sets of eyes looked on with disapproval, but Melody was too wrapped up in the conversation to notice them.

For the first time, Melody realized that Bellamy was afraid. Not of dying -he had put himself into countless dangerous situations since she'd known him and never once had he shown any fear- but of dying as what they all thought he was; a power-hungry, self-serving jackass. He was afraid of dying and leaving behind an unfavorable legacy.

"If you die as a tyrant, then I die as a murderer." Melody was solemn.

They stared at each other then, and something sacred and secret seemed to pass between them; something no one else could see. There was a newfound fierceness in Bellamy's eyes, one that reflected everything Melody felt. Bellamy was so much more than he gave himself credit for. He was even more than _she_ gave him credit for. Melody did not want Bellamy Blake to die as the villain; she wanted him to die as the hero. And Bellamy felt the same way; Melody Pond was the only bit of goodness on this Earth. She would be remembered for her greatness, not her mistakes.

"Are you two going to kiss, or can we get going?" Interrupted Jasper. He looked between the two of them with a look that was somewhere between unsure and horrified.

Melody's cheeks flushed and the tips of Bellamy's ears were bright red.

Needless to say, they got going.

|oOo|

The footprints vanished immediately upon entering Grounder Forest.

The whole terrain was covered with overgrown vegetation. Grass and moss and _green_ covered everything in sight. It wasn't unlike the forest surrounding their camp. The dirt that covered the forest floor was not soft and impressionable; it was hard and barely reacted to being stepped on. Muddy footprints wouldn't have lasted a moment there. Chances of finding traces of the grounder or Octavia in an unfamiliar forest were very slim.

The sun had long ago come up and they'd ditched their torches, which were just slowing them down. The forest seemed endless. Melody wouldn't have been surprised to find out that they'd just been going in circles the whole time. Everytree looked the same. There were no distinguishing landmarks. No way to know if they were heading in the right direction or if they were wandering without a cause.

Even Finn, the amazing tracker, had to admit that they were at a loss.

"We lost the trail." He said finally, after what felt like hours of searching the area a hundred times over for something that clearly wasn't there.

There was no hesitation in Bellamy's voice when he replied. "Keep looking."

"Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister. We should backtrack."

"I'm not going back."

It was Roma, a nice, dark-haired girl from Mecha, who noticed what they'd all been busy enough to overlook.

"Hey, where's John?"

There had been two Johns at camp. There was John, a nice guy with bright eyes and a friendly smile, whose quick reflexes had saved Melody from tumbling down the hill earlier, and then there was John Murphy. Seeing as how John Murphy had been banished from camp, there was only one person Roma could have been talking about.

"I just saw him a second ago." Said Jasper.

"Spread out." Commanded Bellamy as they began to look around for the missing boy. "He couldn't have gotten that far."

_He wouldn't have gone off alone, _thought Melody with a frown. _He's not an idiot. _

Nevertheless, she began to walk in the direction they'd just come from. Maybe John had gotten scared and tried to find his way back to camp. It didn't sound likely, but there was always the chance that he'd simply decided this rescue mission was too much to handle.

Deep down in Melody's gut was a feeling of suspicion. John was the second person to have "wandered off" now. And, like Octavia, he had what appeared to be a good head on his shoulders. The first time it seemed as if one of their own had gotten lost, she'd been _taken._ Was it possible that the same thing had happened to John?

Melody looked quickly from side to side, but she didn't see any signs of the grounders. Not that she knew what they looked like, of course. The closest thing Melody had seen to a grounder was the skeleton -presuming it belonged to a native- that littered the forest floor near the path to Mount Weather. Melody remembered all too well the oddly-shaped skull that Monty had stumbled across. She remembered how strange and unsettling that skeleton had been. The grounders just didn't seem quite human…

That's when something clicked.

They hadn't seen or heard the grounders that speared Jasper. At the time, they'd blamed it on not paying close enough attention to their surroundings. But now, Melody realized the truth. They hadn't seen the grounders because the grounders hadn't wanted to be seen. They had been out there silently lurking, just _waiting_ to strike. They obviously had some method to their madness. Somehow they made themselves seem invisible.

Melody decided to voice her opinions aloud. After all, how likely was it that John had just wandered off? "Hey guys? I think-" _we're missing something._

Melody watched in horror as a limp and lifeless body fell from above, landing in a messy heap right in front of her. Widened eyes stared down at John's dead body. His throat had been slit open, with blood coating his neck and torso. Stifling a gasp, Melody brought one hand to her mouth and pressed it firmly against her lips.

It was another grounder attack.

Finn and Bellamy moved closer to inspect the body. Everyone else watched from a safe distance away, except for Melody. All she could do was stand there and look down at the blood-covered body, which sat just a few inches away from her feet. Blood seemed to flow from the boy endlessly, covering himself and the ground around his body in a thick, crimson coat. The pool of blood began expanding ever so slightly, forming itself around the soles of Melody's combat boots and then further on, inching its way further away from the source.

Melody wasn't squeamish. The sight of blood didn't cause her to wretch, nor did it make her feel all dizzy and faint. The reason she continued to stare down at the blood was because it all felt so surreal. Minutes ago John had been alive and well, helping them search for Octavia. And now Melody's shoes were drenched in his hot, sticky blood. She wriggled her toes slightly, as if making sure they weren't also covered in blood, before taking a step back.

"They use the trees."

Suddenly, Melody felt stupid. _Of course _they used the trees. That's why they were so stealthy. It's not that she hadn't been able to see them; there was nothing to _see_. While Melody had been looking throughout the forest, they'd been looming overhead. It was all so unbelievably simple.

"We shouldn't have crossed the border." Said one of the guys.

"_Now _can we go back?" Demanded Roma.

It was Jasper's hushed whisper that caught Melody's attention. "_There._" He hissed, pointing to the left. His words were so filled with fear that they awoke Melody and set her senses on red-alert.

All eyes turned slowly towards where Jasper was pointing. Melody frowned when she saw what appeared to be a man running along the edge of the forest. He blended in so easily with the colors of the forest that it was only easy to see him in the clearings. Covered in mud and a variety of paints or dyes, the man had been completely camouflaged while hiding in the forest. That's why they hadn't suspected anything out of the ordinary. The grounders were stalking them, biding their time and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

"Another one."

Their heads swung towards the right, where another grounder was dancing among the trees in plain sight. It occurred to Melody that they weren't hiding, but they also weren't attacking. So what were they doing?

"We'd better run."

That was all the urging they needed.

Melody lurched forward, sliding slightly on the grass. The blood covering her boots made it nearly impossible for her feet to grip the ground. Cursing, Melody wiped her boots frantically against the moss, looking over both shoulders to see the grounders advancing. There was no time to unlace her boots. There was no time to do anything other than run and pray to God that she could keep herself upright. When she moved to run again, she stumbled slightly but was caught around the waist and hauled back to her feet.

"Melody, run!" Jasper's voice was in her ear as the two of them struggled forward.

_What do you think I'm doing?_ Melody thought angrily, as she once more attempted to pull herself forward.

Finally, her boots managed to make purchase and then the two of them were running forward as fast as their legs could carry them. Having taken up the rear, Melody and Jasper were the closest ones to the grounders. She tried not to let this bother her, but all Melody could imagine was another spear flying forward and impaling the both of them.

"Why the hell did you come back for me?" Melody asked accusingly, her breath coming in short pants as they upped their pace.

Jasper made a growl-like sound in the back of his throat, obviously exasperated by Melody's question. He didn't answer her, but instead focused all of his concentration on catching up to the rest of the group.

It was absolutely ridiculous. Melody shouldn't have been angry with Jasper for saving her life, but she was furious. He had been lucky enough to escape the grounders once. He didn't need to push his luck. Melody was even more furious at herself for being such an idiot. Blood was wet and slippery and she should have done her best to avoid it altogether. Not that she'd had much notice, of course, since the body nearly dropped right into her lap. Most of all, she was angry that she had been a liability.

They ran and they ran and they ran until Melody felt like she was going to drop dead in the middle of the forest floor. Like the last time she'd been forced to run, Melody's chest felt as if it were on fire. Each breath was ragged and felt like a million knives piercing her skin. And then there was the matter of cramping. Both of her sides ached furiously, as did her legs. Only this time the pain wasn't quite as bad as before. Her body had upped its endurance since last time, and as a result Melody found herself feeling oddly empowered; or as empowered as a dying girl could feel.

"Let's go, let's go!" A loud voice rang out among the group, but Melody was too busy focusing on her ragged breathing to know who had said it. Whoever it was, she wanted to throttle them.

"What are we going to do? They just keep heading us off!"

"Just keep running!"

"I can't run much longer." Jasper's voice was strained as he tried to keep up with the rest of their small group. Melody went to him immediately, worried that maybe he was over exerting himself too quickly after getting patched up.

"I'm not stopping for _him_!" Snarled one of the guys, as they ran passed Melody and Jasper, who had begun to slow down.

"Asshole!" Shouted Melody, flicking him the finger as she pulled Jasper to a rough stop. "You okay?" Melody asked, breathlessly.

Jasper nodded his head and placed one hand over his beating heart. The two of them attempted to catch their breath as the group finally stopped for a moment. Melody's whole body throbbed in protest, especially the muscles in her legs. Mel bent over and braced both hands on her thighs before taking a deep breath and straightening once more, ready for action.

_I can handle a few miles, _she insisted. _I'm Melody freaking Pond. _

"I'm sick of running." Bellamy announced angrily. "They know where she is."

The few moments they spent standing there didn't last nearly long enough.

"_Diggs_?" Roma's voice was shrill as she shouted towards the boy who had yet to stop running. "Where are you?"

His answer was faint, but Roma immediately began to run in the direction that it had come from. A loud sigh escaped Melody, before she grabbed Jasper by the hand and urged him to follow the girl. Tried as they were, they couldn't stop. Not yet. No one wanted to be left behind with grounders on their trail.

They ran throughout the forest, following nothing but the sound of Roma's footsteps ahead of them. It wasn't long before they could hear her screaming, which only urged them on faster. When they founded the corner and saw Diggs' body impaled by some sort of booby trap, everyone paused.

Everyone but Roma.

"They were leading us here." Said Jasper, as he looked around the forest. Melody saw the trip wire that had set of the trap which ended Diggs' life. "It's the only direction we could go."

That's when they all seemed to realize that the sound of footsteps was no longer following them. The grounders had gone away. They had led Melody and her group into a minefield, and now they were just gone? It didn't make sense.

"Where'd they go?" Asked Finn.

"After Roma."

Cue more running.

Melody felt like she had been thrown into this horrible nightmare that never ended. It was an endless circle of eat, sleep, survive, repeat. They weren't _living_; they were just surviving to the best of their abilities. And even that wasn't good enough. Their numbers were quickly dwindling. In only a matter of weeks there had been at least ten deaths, if not more. Melody was no longer keeping track of how many of them there were.

They ran until they found Roma, speared to a tree. The weapon had gone straight through her heart, killing her on the spot. While Bellamy closed her eyes, the rest of them looked around worriedly. They were being picked off one by one, and no one wanted to be the next victim.

"They're playing with us." Finn announced. "They could kills us whenever they want."

A few beats of silence.

"Then they should _get it over with!_" Roared Jasper. His shouting rose with every word. "Come on! We know you're out there!" His voice was loud and Melody could hear the thunderous footsteps of the grounders as they approached.

"Shh! Jasper, shut the hell up!" Melody hissed, grabbing his shoulder roughly and giving him a good shake.

They all moved in, forming a tight circle with their backs to one another. Melody was still gripping Jasper, partly out of fear and partly out of anger. The grounders would have caught up to them eventually, but he didn't help with delaying the process.

_Jasper Jordan, you are the bane of my existence._

He was also her savior, so Melody decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Had Jasper not stopped to help her when she couldn't quite catch her footing, she would have been as well off as Roma. And as far as Melody was concerned, they all should get a chance to break down once in a while. Jasper had been too strong for too long. Granted, it would have been nice if he'd chosen to freak out when they _weren't_ about to die, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Just when they thought they were doomed, a loud sound resonated throughout the forest.

"That horn." Jasper said slowly, looking around at the retreating grounders. "What does it mean?"

"Acid fog."

Finn reached into his bag and was yanking out one of their extra tents. Melody had never encountered the "Acid Fog", but she'd heard that it was a nasty thing. They claimed it burned your skin off and covered you in boils. If you got caught in the fog, there was no escaping it. You just died.

"We've got to go!" Insisted the other girl -whose name Melody did not know- passionately, as she looked towards where the grounders had retreated to.

"There's no time."

Finn rolled out the tent and urged them to all lay down on it. Melody dropped to the ground and lay on her belly, as did the other four. When everyone was down, they pulled a tarp over their heads and held it down, so none of the fog could get in. They didn't know if it would work, but they figured it was their best bet.

Minutes passed. First five, then ten. With each passing moment they became more and more reckless as they waited to see what would happen. Finally, it got to the point where no one could stand lying on top of one another anymore. Rather than wait it out, Bellamy threw the tarp away from them and popped his head up. "There's no fog."

They all sat up quickly and looked around. Finn suggested that it was a false alarm. Melody had a hard time believing someone could mistake acid fog for a raincloud, even if she never had seen the fog before. They had described it as being thick and yellow and fast-moving. And from what she had seen, the only things even close to that were the harmless, gray clouds that floated overhead.

"They're coming back."

Everyone stood at attention as another grounder ran through the forest. This one, however, was not after them. It couldn't even see them as far as they knew. It just ran straight, as if running away from something else. Maybe the fog?

"Now can we run? He doesn't see us."

"I'm going after him." Announced Bellamy.

"And what? Kill him?"

"No. Catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is…then kill him."

"How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?" Asked Jasper.

"We don't." Finn said simply, with an uneasy glance towards Bellamy's back as the older male began to follow after the grounder.

"Come on." Urged Melody, nodding her head towards Bellamy. "It's our only chance." She pointed out, before jogging to keep up with Bellamy.

The whole day had gone by so fast that Melody's head was still reeling. Everything had happened so quickly from the very beginning. John's death, the grounder attack, running, Diggs' death, more running, Roma's death, more running, the Acid Fog scare, now even _more_ running…Today had been nothing but a constant flurry of mayhem.

Still, she refused to give up.

If there was even the _slightest_ chance that Octavia was alive, Melody wouldn't leave until she'd found her. This had started out as a rescue mission and then it had suddenly morphed into a game of cat and mouse. They had lost three lives already, and Melody refused to allow those deaths to be in vain. All of their friends had died heroes. Maybe they hadn't done something amazing in the grand scheme of things, but to Melody -and Bellamy- they'd done something that no amount of thanks could ever repay.

And now, the rest of them were going to find Octavia and they were going to take her home. End of discussion.

No one said a word as they trailed behind the lone grounder. They didn't want to risk being exposed before they were led to Octavia; _if_ they were led to Octavia. They walked with Bellamy in the lead, followed by Melody and Finn behind him, and then Jasper and Monroe at the rear of the group. They walked in a crouch, trying to be as silent as the grounders who so easily barreled through the forest.

It seemed like he was leading them nowhere. And then, all of a sudden the grounder just stopped. He stopped right in the middle of a clearing and just stood there. Bellamy's arm shot out, preventing Melody from moving forward as she'd been about to. When she looked at him curiously, Bellamy just pressed one finger to his lips before looking back towards the grounder.

_How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?_

_We don't._

Melody bit down hard on her bottom lip, her eyes scanning both the forest floor and the treetops for any sign of movement. She didn't relax when she saw nothing; she _never _saw anything. The grounders blended in too well. They were too still. Too quiet. If this was a trap, then Melody and her friends were as good as dead. They had no weapons -aside from her bow- and no protection. They were done for.

Just when Melody thought the grounder might look up and notice them, he bent down and began to tug at something in the grass. Moments later a hatch opened, and the grounder slipped inside. One long, tanned arm reached up and closed the hatch behind him.

"They're underground?" Melody asked in a whisper, staring at the place where the grounder had just disappeared.

"Makes sense." Bellamy said quietly. "It's hard to see unless you know where you're going."

"And it's safe from the acid fog and the crazy mutated animals." Added Finn.

"So what's our plan?" Asked Jasper as he moved forward to get in on their little huddle. "Any strategy?"

"We go in and we get my sister."

The words had barely left Bellamy's lips before he was striding forward, his eyes constantly moving around in an attempt to detect any sort of danger. Melody's heart pounded against her chest as she watched Bellamy walk through the exposed area.

"That's what I was afraid of…" Whispered Jasper. He shook his head in a disapproving way as they all stared at Bellamy.

Inch by inch he made his way across the clearing. Everyone held their breath, half expecting to see a spear come flying out of the woods. When he managed to get across uninjured, Melody sighed in relief and began to follow after him immediately. Jasper's hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.

"Careful. Slowly." He whispered in her ear, before letting go of Melody and following her into the clearing.

Bit by bit, the remainder of the group made their way to the grounder hideaway. Melody led the group, and she was hurrying as fast as she possibly could, despite Jasper's warning. If Bellamy had made it, then she could make it. The grounders wouldn't just let him go across and risk him getting into one of their homes.

When they finally made it across, Bellamy slowly lifted up the hatch. The drop wasn't very long, but it was unsettling. Melody could see what appeared to be a narrow, stone corridor. There was little light in the place. Sunlight flooded in through the open hatch, but that was about it. It looked like something out of a nightmare…The place gave Melody the chills.

"Alright. I'll go in first." Bellamy suggested in a whisper as he began to slowly lower himself into the hole. "When I'm in, you jump." He ordered Melody, looking up at her sternly, as if he could already anticipate the argument that was about to unfold.

"What?" Hissed Melody, her eyes widening with surprise and also a hint of terror. Jumping into a deep, dark hole in the ground was not on her to-do list. "I'll break my neck!" One of the disadvantages of being small was the fact that you were a bit more breakable than the others. Melody doubted her legs could support her body when it came to such a drop; not without breaking, of course. "I'll _die._"

"Stop acting like you're some fragile flower." Ordered Bellamy with a roll of his eyes. "You'll be fine. I'll be there to catch you."

"Oh, that's _so_ reassuring. I'd rather not jump to my death today."

"You've got the bow. I need you in there to watch my back while everyone else gets in."

"Why can't _I _lower myself in? And then you can jump."

"Because I've got at least a head and a half on you. Face it Melody. It'll be easier for me to get myself down there than you. Stop being difficult."

"Oh _fine._" Melody said, frowning down at Bellamy, who had lowered all but his head and shoulder into the hole. He was holding himself up with just his arms, the show off. And when Melody thought about it, that was probably why he was allowed to go in first. She wasn't strong enough to make it down there in one piece. Or maybe she was, but they weren't going to take the chance.

Bellamy's head disappeared. They heard the softest thudding sound after a moment, accompanied by a soft grunt. Melody knew that if she'd tried to do that, things would not have ended well. It was hard to imagine all the grounder woman getting in and out of these places. If there even _were_ grounder women…But Melody figured there must be, if they were keeping their species alive. Those women were probably just as crazy and dangerous as the men. Maybe that's why they could jump in and out of holes in the ground like it was nothing.

"Melody, come on. We don't have all day." Bellamy's voice floated up towards them from the bottom of the hole.

A sigh left Melody's lips as she crawled towards the hole and sat down on the edge, allowing her legs to dangle. When she leaned over to look for Bellamy, she was relieved to find that the little corridor wasn't as dark as she had thought. Bellamy was waiting for her, both of his arms outstretched. Seeing him down there made Melody a bit less nervous, but she really wasn't looking forward to the short drop.

_Don't think about it. _

Taking her own advice, Melody closed her eyes and leapt into the hole. The drop was surprisingly short, and Melody immediately knew that she could have done it by herself if she had half a mind to. Bellamy's arms were strong, but very hard, when she fell into them. Bruising was inevitable. But when she looked up and saw him grinning down at her, she could suddenly care less about the bruises.

"I've got your back." Melody whispered as stepped away from him and pulled the bow over her head. "Help them get down here."

Bellamy nodded and turned back towards the hole in order to offer Finn his hand. Melody pulled an arrow out of her sheath and loaded it into the string. She didn't really know how to use a bow yet, but she figured it was best to keep that little bit of information to herself. Melody figured that if a grounder got close enough, she could easily shoot him. The corridor wasn't wide enough for the arrow to go anywhere else. Luckily, it wasn't long distance shooting.

One by one the rest of them filed into the little corridor. First Finn, then Monroe, and finally Jasper. Melody kept her eyes peeled, but there was no immediate danger. She didn't know where the grounder had gone, but it didn't seem like he would be coming back any time soon. Nevertheless, she didn't allow herself to slack off. She stood at attention while Bellamy was getting everyone inside, and then she led the way.

The "hallways" were long, but there were not very many of them. Melody found herself surprised to see that the underground area was much like a little house. There were several rooms -all of which they checked before continuing- and they were all connected by a system of corridors. It was dark and creepy, but it was also kind of home-like. For some weird reason, Melody found herself picturing a little grounder family living in this place. How did they live? Like her people? Did they sleep in beds and eat breakfast at a table and spend the day doing various household tasks? It seemed impossible, but the more Melody saw of the place the less convinced she was of the grounder's lack of civilization.

"Melody, stop." Bellamy commanded, once more throwing his arm out to keep her from advancing.

"What is it?" Mel whispered, raising the bow a bit more as she tried to see around the corner.

"The main room." He whispered, taking a step forward. "I'll go in. You guys stay here. If shit turns bad, make sure you run."

Melody nodded stiffly. Everyone knew that she wouldn't leave Bellamy here to die even if something did go wrong. Even Bellamy knew it, but he still hoped that maybe she would use her common sense. It was obvious that he would never continue if she didn't agree, so Melody decided to humor him.

Bellamy peeked his head around the corner cautiously, and then froze suddenly. Melody stepped to his side, bow drawn, ready to shoot whatever was in there. To her surprise, she wasn't met with an enemy. The only grounder in sight was laying on the floor, looking as if he had been knocked out. His body was sprawled in a way that suggested he hadn't just fallen asleep or anything. What surprised her even more was the other person in the room.

Chained to the wall on the far end of the room was Octavia.

"Bellamy?" Her voice was filled with both relief and confusion when she saw her brother standing in the doorway.

"Octavia!" Bellamy was across the room in a moment and knelt by her side. He checked his sister over urgently for a few seconds and was glad to find that she was unharmed.

"Get the key!" Urged Octavia desperately, nodding her head to the shining piece of metal on the ground. Bellamy grabbed the key and brought it to the padlock that was keeping Octavia's chains on the wall. He couldn't seem to get the lock undone fast enough for either of their likings.

Melody walked into the room, her eyes trained on Octavia. The raven-haired girl looked up at Melody with big, hazel eyes that were full of too many emotions to count. Melody wanted nothing more than to bend down and hug Octavia, but 1) the girl was chained, and 2) they didn't have any time to waste. The grounder wouldn't be down forever.

"Monroe, guard the door!" Bellamy ordered, as he finally managed to unbind Octavia's chains. The moment her hands were unbound, Octavia leapt at Bellamy and drew him into her arms. They clung to one another, with Bellamy tying to soothe the almost hysterical girl. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay."

Melody was so relieved that she forgot where they were for a moment. All she could think about was how happy and relieved she was to see Octavia alive and well. Melody wanted to hold the other girl close and never let her go. It was an odd feeling, one that she'd never felt before. Melody always wanted to protect her friends, of course, but with Octavia it was different. _She _was different.

Octavia was Melody's best friend.

The two girls collided in a hug that was nearly painful. Melody wrapped her arms firmly around Octavia and felt her breath leave her in a soft sigh. Her eyes fluttered shut and Melody just stood there for a few moments, surprised at how much she had truly missed the other girl. It took situations like this to realize how much someone really meant to you. And luckily, in their case, they hadn't realized it too late.

"I'm so glad you're here." Octavia whispered when she finally pulled away and looked at Melody with a small smile. Melody could only smile and nod her head in response. She knew that there were no words to convey her feelings at the moment.

"I'm here, too." Jasper said softly, grinning at Octavia pointedly.

It was then that she seemed to notice him for the first time. "How did you find me?" Octavia threw herself at Jasper, wrapping her arms around him immediately.

"Followed him." Jasper said, with a soft laugh and a nod towards the grounder on the floor.

That seemed to bring Octavia back to the present.

"We should go. Now." Urged Octavia, looking down at the grounder with a frown. Surprisingly, she didn't look scared. Just anxious. "Before he wakes up."

"He's not going to wake up." Bellamy declared as he circled the male for a moment before grabbing a spear that was propped up against the wall. Melody's grip on her bow tightened in response as she looked down at the grounder.

"Bellamy, stop." Octavia said, limping towards her brother. "He didn't hurt me. Let's just go."

"They started this. Finn, move."

Finn was crouched by the grounder, examining something that was wrapped around his waist. Melody crouched down beside him, looking at the item with interest. It was made of wood and it had strange designs and symbols on it. Melody had never seen anything like it.

"Fog horn." Finn announced quietly.

Melody barely had time to blink before everything was happening. One moment she was crouched beside Finn, and in the next she was rolling across the floor. There was a sharp pain in Melody's shoulder as she collided with the stone floor. There was another pain in her side, but it wasn't from any sort of collision.

She'd been pushed.

When Melody sat up, she saw more than one confusing sight in front of her. Head still dizzy, she managed to crawl towards where her bow had fallen. The sheath was still strapped to her side, but the arrows had fallen out and were scattered across the floor. Melody grabbed blindly for the arrows and -after several tries- managed to grab one. She brought it to her bow and loaded the string, only to finally see the sight in front of her.

Bellamy and the grounder were struggling back and forth on one side of the room. The spear was between the two of them as the both of them fought to gain control of the weapon. Melody raised her bow slightly, her arms a bit shaky as she pointed it at the grounder. She knew that her aim wasn't good. Her chances of hitting the grounder were as good as her chances of hitting Bellamy.

On the other side of the room was Finn. He was laying in Octavia's arms, fighting to catch his breath as she gingerly cradled him. Melody was confused until she saw the knife sticking out of his side. A gasp left her lips as she stumbled towards him, her eyes wide and filled with tears. One hand gently pressed against her aching side, and Melody knew now why she'd been shoved aside so roughly.

The knife had been meant for her.

"Oh Finn, I'm so sorry." Melody whispered to him, before climbing to her feet once more and facing the battle that was being fought across the room.

Bellamy was pinned to the ground with the spear at his throat. Melody's movements were more sure know as she swung the bow up and loaded the arrow. She drew back the string and loosened her grip on the end slightly. One eye slid close, and she was just about to let the arrow sail forward when suddenly, the grounder slumped forward.

They all stared in surprise as Jasper looked down at the fallen grounder. He'd managed to knock the grounder out again, and had bought them a few more minutes. And right now, they could use as much time as they could get.

Melody lowered the bow and pulled it over her head once more as everyone ran to Finn. She bent down and quickly gathered her scattered arrows as Bellamy lifted Finn into his arms. Jasper wrapped his arm around Octavia, and they began to move towards the exit.

Melody walked beside Bellamy, staring straight ahead with a solemn expression on her face. Her mind was racing and her heart was heavy. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pretend that this whole day had never happened. But she couldn't do that. Because as always, she had to be the one to protect them. She _needed_ to be the one who protected them. So, she kept her bow raised and her eyes moving. They wouldn't be taken by surprise again.

"This isn't your fault, Melody." Bellamy said from beside her, giving the small girl a worried look as he maneuvered his way through the corridors with Finn in his arms. "It isn't your fault Finn got hurt."

Melody just smiled sadly at Bellamy and gave her head one slow shake to show that she understood what he was saying, but she didn't agree. It _wasn't _her fault that Finn had shoved her out of the way. That was his call. Even after all of the mean things she had said to him earlier in the day, he still did his best to protect her.

But the knife had been meant for her, and Melody knew that. She couldn't stop herself from feeling responsible. If Finn died, it was on her. Melody was going to do whatever she could to help Clarke save his life. And if he lived, she was going to do whatever she could to make things between them right again. Life was too short for grudges.

"Don't blame yourself, okay?" Pleaded Bellamy, obviously not satisfied with Melody's silence. "You _can't_ blame yourself for any more stupid shit."

Melody looked up at Bellamy and thought about his words for a few moments. There was a lot of grief in her heart and a lot of guilt tearing up her mind on a daily basis. There was Jason, of course, and there was her mother; two people she had hurt beyond repair. There was Charlotte, who she couldn't save. There were the people on the Ark who were dead because of a radio that Melody failed to win back. There were her friends; Clarke, Jasper, Monty, Finn, Octavia, and Bellamy. All of whom she had either lied to or hurt in one way or another, even if it was intentional. All of whom she had affected negatively with her careless words or actions. So to say that Melody blamed herself for a lot of "stupid shit" was pretty accurate. She did a lot of stupid shit to be blamed for.

There was a reason for this.

With a small frown and a slight shrug, Melody avoided Bellamy's question. Rather than assure him that she wouldn't continue to blame herself, -which she most likely would- Melody decided to make a broad statement that pretty much summed up her entire existence.

"We hurt those we love the most."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Clarke! Where's Clarke?" Jasper's voice resonated throughout the entire camp and probably the forest beyond it. He and Octavia stumbled through the camp gates, both out of breath and looking very panic stricken. "Get Clarke. _Now._" Commanded Jasper, sending a serious but anxious look in the direction of a younger camper -his name started with an "m", something like Mason or Michael or Miles- who was standing near the entrance.

There was no need for the boy to get Clarke, though, because the blonde doctor had heard the shouting from across the camp. She started out walking towards Jasper, but once she saw the look on his face and heard the urgency in his voice she broke out into a run. Clarke reached them within seconds and, her own face marred with worry.

"Hey, I'm here." She said softly, soothingly. "What's up?" Her gaze then traveled to Octavia and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. A gentle smile spread across her face as she reached out to place a hand on Octavia's shoulder. "Octavia."

Clarke's smile and friendly demeanor didn't last long.

The gate was kicked open then, and the remainder of the group filed into camp. Bellamy was in the lead, gingerly cradling Finn's limp body in his arms. Monroe was right behind him, looking more like she was relieved to be home than worried about Finn's health. Melody had taken up the rear, walking slowly backwards with a fierce scowl in place. Her bow was raised in an attempt to scare off any grounders that might have been lurking. God knew she couldn't actually use the damn thing.

Clarke went from concerned friend to hysterical mistress in a matter of moments when Finn's body came into view, the knife still sticking out of his side. "Finn? Oh my god." Her voice broke, showing just how worried and scared she truly was.

They all watched in silence as Clarke searched for a pulse. Everyone except for Raven, who had now joined the group with a gasp and a look on her face that made Melody wonder if she wasn't about to be sick. "Oh my god. Oh my god." Raven said over and over again, watching the scene before her with widened eyes.

It seemed like a lifetime before Clarke finally said, "He's alive."

Jasper was looking so worried that Melody found herself at his side, wrapping one arm around his wait in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. It did little to appease the boy, who was nervously wringing his hands as he looked at Clarke.

"Bellamy wouldn't let me take the knife out." Said Jasper.

"No, that was a good call." Said Clarke. She could see that Jasper was obviously worried they'd done more damage by leaving the knife in.

Her gaze then turned towards the group of guys that were trying to take Finn from Bellamy's arms. "Get him in the dropship now." Ordered Clarke, her voice still shaky but once again filled with that same old note of authoritarianism.

They immediately began to move towards the dropship, as in sync with one another as possible in order to keep Finn from experiencing further discomfort. Not that he would actually know if the ride was a bit rough; he'd gone unconscious ages ago.

Raven stepped forward, looking kind of scared, kind of hysterical, and really unstable. "Clarke. Can you save him?" Demanded the wide eyed girl.

"No." Clarke shook her head slowly with a frown. "Not me. I need my mother. I need to talk to her."

"There's still no radio." Raven pressed both hands against her temples, looking helpless and angry.

"Raven, _fix it._" When the brown-eyed girl just stood there, looking lost, Clarke's voice raised and she sounded more than ever like a strong, confident leader. "Go!"

Raven ran off and then Clarke turned towards Melody and her friends.

"Hey, Octavia. Are you okay?" Asked Clarke, gripping the girl's arm gently as she looked her over as quickly as possible, searching for any sign of external injuries. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, along with a heavy limp, Octavia was unharmed.

"Yeah." Octavia nodded quickly and gestured towards the dropship. "Just go."

Clarke nodded her head and began to jog away. She'd only taken a few steps away from their small group when she turned around and looked at Melody. The small redhead stiffened slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. Melody's lips were set in a grim line as she looked at Clarke, not knowing what was about to happen.

_She can't already know he did it for me_, said a quiet, reassuring voice in the back of Melody's head. The voice then turned into a whisper as it added, _please, please don't blame me. _

"Melody, I need you in the dropship." Said Clarke.

Melody couldn't have been more surprised.

Looking at Clarke as if she had sprouted another head, -which was quite possible on Earth- Melody pointed to herself and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "_Me_?"

Clarke nodded once.

"I don't know anything about medicine, Clarke." Melody said, her voice slow and confused as if to say, '_you know that_.'

"I don't need your help with the medical side of things, Melody. I just need…you." There was a hesitancy in Clarke's voice which let Melody know that she hadn't forgotten about the last time they had spoken. So why would Clarke be asking her for help?

Melody looked at Jasper, who also looked very surprised at Clarke's request for Melody to go into the dropship. It was no secret among their friends that Clarke and Melody were no longer on friendly terms.

"She's right." Said Jasper suddenly, causing Melody's confused gaze to swing in his direction. "I think everyone could use a little bit of your strength today, Melody."

_My strength? _Wondered Melody with a frown. _What strength? _

Nevertheless, Melody gave Jasper a gentle pat on the arm and then she slowly followed after Clarke.

When they entered the dropship, things were hectic. Raven was busy working on her water-logged radio in the corner of the room that usually served as Monty's workspace. Finn had been laid across a makeshift bed on the other side of the room and he was still unconscious. Several people were just lingering, either wanting to help or be there to see things get bloody. Everyone loved a good show.

"What can I do?" Melody asked immediately, looking between Clarke and Raven with what she hoped was a hopeful expression on her face.

"Uh, nothing…" Raven said slowly, not even bothering to look up as she continued to re-build her radio.

"We can't do anything until we can contact my mother." Explained Clarke, looking down at the mostly built radio.

"So I should…?" Melody trailed off curiously. She didn't like not being able to help, but it seemed that there was nothing she could do at the moment. The same old feeling of helplessness settled over Melody's mind, and she found herself itching to do _anything._

"Can you check on Finn? Make sure he's still…asleep." Clarke said slowly, frowning as she bent over Raven's shoulder and began to give the girl orders in a hushed voice.

Melody nodded her head and turned around to check on Finn. For a few moments she had forgotten about the small crowd -very small, only about five or six people- that had surrounded Finn. When Melody saw the group standing around Finn, eagerly trying to gaze at his wounded chest, she felt her anger bubbling to the surface.

"You." Snapped Melody, pointing to the stragglers that were hanging around Finn's bedside and trying not to look suspicious. It didn't surprise Melody to see that it was the younger kids who were hanging around Finn. They didn't seem to understand the severity of anything, which was becoming increasingly annoying with every tragedy that struck the camp. "Get lost."

"B-but, we were just-" Stammered a young girl, who looked between Finn and Melody very quickly.

"_Out._" She snarled, pointing her finger towards the exit. "This is an infirmary. It's not a place for you to play."

"Sorry, Miss." One boy shook his head rapidly and looked up at Melody with big, blue eyes. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. And he very much looked like a child who was getting scolded for misbehaving. "We just wanted a look."

"Don't you get it? People are _dying_ all the time. This is serious! The bad things that happen to us shouldn't be used as a means of entertainment." Melody looked between the few of them, clearly exasperated. If she had her way -which she usually did- no one would be ogling Finn in his injured state just for kicks and giggles.

"Just wanted a bit of excitement is all." Another boy said with a sheepish shrug, hesitantly smiling up at Melody as if his boyish charm would somehow soften her.

"Yeah? I see you lurking around here again and the next bit of excitement you're going to get is my foot up your ass."

They all left the dropship in a hurry after that. Melody checked on Finn, glad to see that he was still unconscious. _And_ breathing.

When Melody spun back around to confirm that he was "asleep", she saw that both Clarke and Raven were staring at her. Melody immediately paused, her hand reaching up to rub nervously at the back of her neck. The look of surprise on Raven's face as she flat-out gawked at Melody made her feel uneasy. And the smile on Clark's face did nothing to calm her frazzled nerves.

"What?" Questioned Melody after a few moments of awkward staring.

"_That._" Said Clarke, her smile widening slightly. This time, it actually managed to reach her eyes. Two pools of blue warmed slightly as they gazed upon Melody with an almost sort of fondness. "That is why I need you in here."

"To threaten people?" Melody snorted, her arms crossed over her chest in an easy pose rather than a defensive one. One foot hooked around the opposite ankle as Melody crossed her legs as well, leaning back against the wall for support. "Bellamy could have done that."

"No. I need you here because you're one of the only campers with a good head on your shoulders." Clarke explained, somehow always knowing the perfect words to say. "You have this…this _code. _You're so damn loyal. You'll do anything for your friends…even if it means knocking us down a peg or two."

Melody flushed with pride at Clarke's words. "Yeah well…" She trailed off and shrugged her shoulders, pleased but slightly embarrassed by Clarke's words. "Someone has to."

The words _friends _and _us _echoed in her mind over and over again as she looked at Clarke, who had stopped smiling at her and was back to speaking with Raven. Did this mean that Clarke counted herself as one of Melody's friends now? She, Melody, didn't want to get her hopes up. She wanted to remain cool and composed. She wanted to pretend that she couldn't care less about Clarke and her decision on whether or not they were still friends. But in the end, Melody couldn't stop herself from smiling.

After a few minutes of just standing around, Melody excused herself to get some boiled water, knowing that Clarke would eventually need it. Raven was so engrossed in her radio that she barely even looked up. Clarke nodded her head, but she was busy staring outside at the impending storm.

Melody stepped outside and immediately stumbled back a step or two when she was hit by the force of the wind. Rain was falling from huge, black storm clouds that loomed overhead menacingly. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but there was no sign of lightning…Yet. Figuring she might as well get the water while it was still safe, Melody hurried over to the covered basin and began to fill up the bottles that she had clipped to her belt.

As soon as the third bottle was full, Melody felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head, squinting through both the rain and the stray pieces of her hair that whipped around in every direction. It took a few moments for her to realize that Bellamy was facing her, with one arm shielding his face from the rain as he bent closer to be heard over the sound of the storm.

"We're heading out!" Bellamy shouted, his voice somehow rising above the shrill shrieking of the wind.

"Heading out?" Questioned Melody with a frown as she finished clipping the last bottle to her belt. When she turned to fully face Bellamy, both of her hands fell on her hips. "Where are you going?"

Bellamy looked hesitant, as if he didn't want to tell her. It was a few moments before he answered her, sounding sheepish but determined. "To find that grounder."

"Bellamy, no. It's not worth it. Going back into grounder territory is dangerous."

"He took Octavia and he stabbed Finn. We're not going to forget about that, Melody."

"He _saved_ Octavia!" Argued Melody. She, for one, believed her roommate's story about how the grounder had cared for her and fixed her injured leg. Bellamy was convinced that the grounder had kidnapped Octavia and kept her there in order to kill her. "Can't it wait?"

Melody brought one hand up to wipe away the rain that was now dripping down her face. With each passing minute the storm grew rougher and wilder. They'd never had bad weather on the ground before. No one really knew what to do in the wake of a thunderstorm, so it seemed that everyone was piling into the dropship with urgency. If they'd had poisonous fog, surely they could have acidic rain.

"No, it can't wait. We're leaving as soon as possible."

"Okay, just let me grab my bow."

"No." Bellamy reached out and pressed his hand firmly against Melody's shoulder, stopping her when she began to move for her tent.

"No?" Mel stared up at Bellamy with a frown. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, I'm not letting you go back out there. It's too dangerous."

"Exactly. That's why I need to go with-"

"_No_."

Their gazes locked, brown on green.

Finally, after a few more moments of an intense stare down, Melody sighed and decided to give in on the matter of Bellamy going to find the grounder. Mel would settle if he made her one simple, little promise. "Fine. Just tell me you won't kill him."

"Melody, they've already killed a lot of our people…"

"Tell me you won't kill him."

"…John, Diggs, Roma..."

"Tell me you _won't kill him_."

"…Could already be plotting our down fall…"

"Bellamy!" Melody shrieked, scowling at him with both arms now crossed over her chest. Partially to ward off the chill that was quickly settling deep within her bones, and partially because it was habit.

"Fine!" Bellamy was shouting now, but it was because of his anger and impatience rather than his desire to be heard over the storm. "I won't kill him. We'll just question him."

Melody was relieved. She shouldn't have been, but she was. The grounder may have stabbed Finn -in an attempt to stab her- but he had also taken care of Octavia. He had saved her from the other grounders. And he had blown the foghorn to draw the grounders back to their village when they'd been about to attack. Somehow it didn't feel right to kill him when he had saved them more than once.

"Okay." Mel nodded her head in agreement, which sent water flying every which way. "Be safe." She ordered, placing one hand on gently Bellamy's arm. She gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring herself that he would be fine. It was Bellamy, after all.

"No one will be out in this storm." Bellamy said, his gaze falling to the dainty hand that rested upon his bicep. All traces of anger seemed to have dissolved for a moment. Now, he seemed like he wanted to assure her that they would be safe out there. As if Melody would ever have believed that.

"Still, be careful. They're unpredictable." She pointed out, causing Bellamy to nod in understanding and agreement.

Rather than telling her to be safe too, Bellamy just nodded his head once more and then gave her an order that was so _Bellamy. _"Get your ass inside. You'll come down with pneumonia if you stay out here. The last thing I need is another wounded soldier."

"Sir Yes, sir." She gave him a mock salute.

Melody let go of Bellamy's arm as he pulled away and shouted for the rest of his group to follow him. Without another word, Bellamy turned around and led his group further and further from the safety of camp. Mel watched for a few moments as their backs disappeared into the forest and the gate was shut behind them.

Not wanting to get caught up in the storm, Melody looked around the camp once to make sure that no one was left outside. Unlike Melody, they had all been smart enough to get out of the storm before it had gotten so heavy. Seeing that it was only her left outside, Melody hurried into the safety and warmth of the dropship.

Melody was greeted by a surprising and amazing sight. Raven was sitting at her -or Monty's- little bench, talking into the microphone that was attached to her headset. Melody could hear static from the radio, and then a few voices that were accompanied by another great amount of static. Everyone pressed closer to try and hear what was being said.

"This is Raven Reyes. I'm from Mecha Station. I'm transmitting from the ground. The hundred are alive." Raven said eagerly, speaking as loudly and clearly as she possibly could. "Please, you need to get Doctor Abby Griffin. Doctor Abby Griffin. Now."

There was a male's voice coming through the speakers as he said something about trying to boost the signal. People immediately began to chatter, all of them excited about having made contact with someone from The Ark. While everyone began to talk, Melody pushed herself to the front of the room until she was standing beside Clarke and Raven.

"The Ark?" Asked Melody, her eyes widening in surprise and delight.

"Yes." Agreed Clarke with a nod before she shifted her nervous glance in Finn's direction. "We're trying to get my mother on the radio."

"Good." Melody said softly, giving Clarke the biggest smile she could manage. "She'll be able to help us, Clarke. I know she will."

Clarke nodded her head in agreement. She was about to say something else when suddenly they heard a new voice on the radio.

"Raven? Are you there?" The voice was distinctively feminine and anxious.

Clarke froze for a moment and turned to look at Raven with wide eyes. She bent closer to the microphone, half-leaning on the table in front of her as she tried to speak into the small device.

"Mom? Mom, it's me." Clarke said slowly, looking at the radio.

There was a few moments of hesitation before the woman answered. "Clarke?"

"Mom, I need your help. One of our people was stabbed by a Grounder."

Another voice came onto the radio. Melody recognized this voice immediately. It was the voice of the Chancellor. A tall, dark-skinned man who walked around the Ark with his head held higher than the rest of them. The Chancellor was the one who decided what happened to criminals. He was the one who had locked them up, floated their parents, and sent them down to Earth to die.

None of the delinquents liked him much.

"Clarke. This is the Chancellor. Are you saying there are survivors on the ground?"

"Yes. The Earth _is_ survivable. We're not alone."

There was a pause. No one said anything.

"Mom, he's dying." Clarke interrupted the silence and looked over at Finn worriedly. "The knife is still in his chest."

"Clarke. Is my son with you?" The Chancellor again.

Everyone grew quiet. They all looked to Clarke, suddenly solemn at the mention of Wells Jaha. He'd been one of the first ones to die on Earth. Charlotte had killed him. And now, they were both dead. Everyone waited to see how Clarke would address the situation with the Chancellor.

"I'm so sorry. Wells is…Wells is dead."

Silence from the Ark.

The delinquents were also silent. Wells' death was fresh in their minds. And while no one had particularly _liked _the boy -due to the fact that he was the Chancellor's son- they all still felt the loss. So many lives had been lost at this point. Melody, who had been on decent terms with Wells, mourned him once more. And then she thought of his father. The man who had floated her very own father. The man who had sent her down to Earth to die. And she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him. At least not in this moment. Not when he had just found out about the fate of his son. And as much as the rest of the 100 hated Chancellor Jaha, they all cast their gazes downwards and mourned with him.

"May we meet again." Whispered someone from the back of the room. There were several murmurs of agreement as people echoed the words.

The Chancellor did not come back on the radio. Melody didn't figure he would be up to talking any more, considering everything. It was a few minutes before they could hear Abby's voice on the radio once more. Melody's heart lurched and she hoped that the woman would be able to help them fix Finn.

"I'm going to talk you through it, step by step." Said Abby, much to their relief.

_Maybe there is hope for Finn after all. _

The dropship creaked then, the metal groaning in protest as the wind relentlessly tried to uproot everything in its path. Everyone looked to the doors in annoyance and worry. Melody sat herself on the edge of Finn's bed and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it back away from his forehead.

"Clarke, you need to find…" Abby's voice cut out and they heard only static.

"What?" Shouted Clarke, looking at the radio with a frown. "Raven, what's wrong?" Clarke moved away from Finn and towards Raven, who was busily trying to reconnect the radio.

"It's not the radio. It's the storm." Raven insisted, as she desperately tried to get the red light on the radio to come on once more.

They all frowned as they looked first at the radio and then towards the door of the dropship, which remained open. The curtain that covered the entrance was flapping wildly with the wind. Rain poured down outside and the thunder rolled, coming closer and closer to their camp.

"It's the connection." Melody said, licking her lips nervously as she continued to run her fingers through Finn's hair. It was more in an effort to calm herself than to soothe him. What did he care? He wasn't even conscious. "So…what happens if the storm wipes it out?"

No one answered, but no one had to.

Raven threw herself into her work furiously, trying her best to make sure that the radio turned back on. Clarke leaned against Finn's bed and closed her eyes tightly. Everyone grew quiet as they did their best to stay off to the sides and out of the way.

Melody's heart sank as she looked down at the boy in front of her. A boy who was one of her closest friends. Finn had been there from the very beginning. And although they'd had their rough patches, the two of them had always had an unspoken connection. It had showed when Finn had protected her from Bellamy -and everyone else- the day she had gotten into a fight. It had showed all of the times the two of them had argued, said harsh things, and then gone on with their lives as if it never happened, not having needed apologies. And it showed now, as Melody sat by his side and gently ran her fingers through his hair while whispering soft, encouraging words to him.

This was Finn. _Her _Finn. A Finn that was different from both Clarke's Finn and Raven's Finn. He was the peacemaker. The first one to volunteer to help and the last one to give up on things. Well, except for that one time when he was going to let them kill Jasper…but that was forgiven. The same boy that she had threatened to kill not even a day earlier over a few petty words. And now here he was, dying on a table in front of her. And there was absolutely nothing Melody could do that would stop Finn's impending death. She wasn't a doctor, she wasn't a mechanic, and she sure as hell wasn't a miracle worker. They all knew what would happen if Abby couldn't communicate with them.

Finn would die.

|oOo|

Melody and Octavia entered the dropship some time later, both of them soaked from the rain outside that had only worsened over the last half hour. Each of them carried a metal jug in their hands, both of which were filled to the brim with moonshine. Monty and Jasper had set up their own make-shift still and had been producing moonshine by the gallon for several days. Not only was it a great pick-me-up, but it was also an amazing disinfectant.

"Ugh, Monty's moonshine?" Asked Clarke as she took the metal container from Melody's hands and inhaled the moonshine's strong scent.

"Pretty sure no germ could survive it." Octavia said with a small smile as she bent down and began to pour it into a small bowl.

Melody wanted to help, but the two girls looked like they could handle it. So, Melody busied herself with pulling off her jacket and hanging it up to dry. That left her in a black tank top, which was rather damp, and her jeans which were as soaked-through as her jacket. The wet clothing stuck to her body in a rather uncomfortable way, but it would be no use to change now, when the storm was still so heavy.

Once again there was the sound of the dropship creaking as the storm outside continued to grow louder. Melody turned to look at the open entrance, where the curtain was still flapping wildly in the wind. There was about as much rain getting inside as there was outside. Clarke and Octavia seemed to notice this as well.

"Storm's getting worse." Clarke commented with a frown. "Monroe, close the doors."

"But we still have people out there." Objected Monroe.

This caused Clarke to frown as she looked from Monroe to the open door. "Monty and Jasper still aren't back yet." She said softly.

"Neither is Bellamy." Added Octavia.

"It's okay. They'll find somewhere to ride it out." Clarke assured her.

From across the room, Raven was making an impatient noise as she hurried towards Clarke. Her hand was held high and whatever she held was glittering in the light. "One stitching needle." She announced.

"Great. I still need something to close the wound."

"There's some wire on the second level." Octavia looked up at Clarke as she finished disinfecting the last of the tools. "I used it on the tents."

Clarke told Octavia to get it, so the girl nodded her head and began moving for the ladder that would lead to the second level. Melody took her place, making sure that all of the tools were as clean as they could get them. If Finn went septic, it would mean another trip to find some of the red seaweed Clarke had brought back last time. And none of them could make the trip in weather like this.

"Stay away from the blue wires that run through the ceiling. I rigged it to the solar cells in the roof." Raven called after Octavia, who didn't look up as she hurried towards the ladder. With a frown, Raven raised her voice slightly. "That means they're hot! You got that?"

"Yeah. I got that." Retorted Octavia in a bored tone.

Something about Raven's tone of voice made Melody scowl. Perhaps it was her more defensive side coming out. She didn't like the way Raven seemed to talk down to Octavia. Sure, Octavia may not have been a mechanic, but she wasn't an idiot. "Solar" was a pretty universal term. The last thing Melody needed now was another know-it-all.

"She's not deaf." Said Melody shortly.

Raven looked at Melody with a somewhat surprised expression on her face. "Excuse me?" And then her gaze darkened, and she took one step towards Melody. As everyone knew by now, Mel wasn't the type of girl to be intimidated by much. _Especially _not some pompous mechanic that thought she was superior just because she'd gotten off of Mecha. Not everyone had that opportunity.

So, Melody took two steps forward and was about to take a third when Clarke stepped in between them.

"Cool it." Ordered Clarke as she looked between the two of them with a frown. "Right now we need to concentrate on helping Finn."

Melody and Raven glowered at each other for a few more moments. Eventually, Melody grew bored glaring and reached out to grab the half-empty container of moonshine. She brought it to her lips and took a deep swallow, allowing the liquid to warm her up. Clarke was right; there was no sense in fighting right now. They all needed to be on the same side, if only for a little while.

While she was trying to drown her sorrows, Raven and Clarke had turned to look at one another.

"Tell me you can do this." Urged Raven.

Clarke didn't answer.

"Hey, they're back!" Shouted a voice from the front of the ship.

Everyone turned to look at the entrance to the dropship. When Bellamy stepped through the threshold, Melody felt relieved.

"Bellamy!" Octavia began to lower herself from the ladder.

Melody was smiling, but that smile soon faltered when she saw the rest of the group walk in behind Bellamy. At first, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But the sound of something being dragged across the ground made her frown and she moved closer to get a better look. It didn't take Melody long to recognize the body they dragged behind them.

Laying in the middle of the floor was the grounder.

Blindfolded and chained up, he looked as if he had been knocked out. Blood dripped from one of his temples. His chest was bare and dirt coated his body, suggesting that they had been careless when transporting him to camp. It wouldn't have been surprising if they'd just dragged him the whole way; they had no tact.

"The hell are you doing?" Demanded Octavia as she stared between Bellamy and the grounder.

"Time to get some answers."

"Oh. You mean revenge?" Octavia sounded as angry as Melody felt.

"I mean _intel_." Corrected Bellamy with a frown.

Melody began to walk towards him, but Bellamy shot one hand out to keep her back. When their eyes met, Melody could see what Bellamy was trying to say. _It's dangerous. _But as far as Melody could see, there was only one dangerous man in front of her. And it definitely wasn't the one who was blindfolded and chained up on the floor. Still, she didn't move forward. Instead she just watched Bellamy with a scowl and both arms crossed tightly over her chest as she waited to see what his next move would be.

Bellamy turned to look at the boys who carried the body. "Get him upstairs."

Melody felt sick to her stomach as she watched the body get carried away. When she'd made Bellamy promise not to kill the grounder, she figured that would ensure his safety. How wrong she was…Whatever Bellamy had planned was apt to be much worse than death. The way he said those words, _time to get some answers,_ made Melody's skin crawl. She didn't doubt they would get answers…but what would it take?

Clarke moved forward then, to voice her own displeasure.

"Bellamy, she's right." Clarke insisted, backing up Octavia.

Bellamy looked angry for a moment, but then his head snapped upwards in surprise. Once again there was static coming from the radio, and then they could hear Abby's voice informing Clarke that they were ready to do the procedure. At the voice of the Ark's doctor, Bellamy's gaze darkened and then got this far-away look that Melody didn't recognize.

"Look, this is not who we are." Continued Clarke with a frown as she looked up at Bellamy.

In the background they could hear Abby's voice calling for Clarke, but most eyes were trained on the two leaders. Things between Clarke and Bellamy were almost always tense when it came to the big decisions. Clarke used logic, Bellamy used instinct…Usually, Clarke could sway Bellamy to her side. But not today.

"It is now." He said simply, before turning and walking away from her.

**So this is kind of just a filler chapter because I had a sudden burst of inspiration and finished it quickly. As you can tell, we're about half-way through season one right now, which means we're about half way through the first book. Which is CRAZY. Let me know what you think of the story so far. Thank you to everyone who reads! 3 **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

It took Clarke well over half an hour to convince Melody that she needed to go upstairs, where the boys were currently tying up the grounder that they had brought into camp. Although the rest of the delinquents had been rounded up and sent to the second level by Raven, Melody had stayed behind and insisted that she wanted to help. It took both Clarke _and_ Raven -who was not exactly Melody's favorite person at the moment for _obvious_ reasons- to point out the logic behind Melody helping upstairs rather than downstairs.

"We don't need your help, Melody." Said Clarke, for probably the hundredth time. "Raven and I can handle this."

"You said you wanted me here." Melody pointed out, suddenly sounding slightly hurt that she too was being kicked to the curb like the rest of the campers.

"I did. I _do._" Clarke reached out to gently place a hand on Melody's shoulder in a soothing sort of way. "But I think Bellamy needs you more than I do."

"_Bellamy_?"

Clarke nodded.

"Clarke, I think Bellamy can handle things by himself. He seems to be doing alright." There was a hint of bitterness in Melody's voice as she cast a glance towards the upper level's closed hatch.

"We both know that this isn't right, Mel."

"What am _I _supposed to do about it, Clarke? I tried to go to him. He didn't even let me get close enough to ask what had happened." The memory of Bellamy putting out his hand to stop her from advancing was still fresh in Melody's mind.

"If you just talk to him now, maybe he'll…" Clarke trailed off, looking for the right words.

"What? Let the grounder go?" Melody laughed, but it was a bitter sound that held no traces of amusement. "Bellamy Blake listens to no one."

"It's different with you." Interjected Raven, who was quickly becoming impatient as she looked down at Finn with a worried frown.

Melody turned her head to stare at the dark-haired mechanic. When she could help it, Melody didn't speak to the newcomer. The two of them had been on rocky ground ever since she had come down to Earth. At first, it was nothing Raven had intentionally done. She had come to the ground looking for her boyfriend Finn, who was by then already shacking up with Clarke. The hurt look on Clarke's face had been enough for Melody to dislike the girl being on Earth. And then, when she had tried to jump at Bellamy the night of the Ark's funeral, Melody had decided that she had little use for Raven Reyes. The little things she'd done ever since had just furthered Melody's distaste for her; _especially_ the way she was constantly clinging to Finn and the way she had talked condescendingly to Octavia.

"What do you mean?" Melody asked Raven, too surprised by the other girl's words to remember that they were in the middle of a silent war.

"Anyone can see it. You're one of the few people in this camp that Bellamy actually _likes._ Your opinion will matter to him."

"You can get through to him, Melody." Clarke added.

"You're both crazy." Said Melody.

When had Bellamy ever taken her _feelings_ into account? When he had threatened to kill Jasper? When he had nearly hung Murphy? When he had told Clarke about Jason? Bellamy Blake looked after himself. He listened to himself. And he did whatever the hell he wanted.

_But he made you the bow_, a soft, hesitant voice began to form in the back of Melody's mind. _You really like that bow._

"Please, Melody. I would try to persuade him, but…" Clarke gestured to Finn's body that was resting on the table in front of them. "I need to do this. And quick, before the storm completely knocks out the radio signal."

"Fine." Melody said with a nod as she looked down at Finn. Melody was the reason he had gotten hurt. She definitely wouldn't the one keeping Clarke from operation on him. And damn Clarke Griffin for knowing that her one weakness was her need to keep them all safe and alive. "I'll try and convince Bellamy not to…not to kill him."

"That's all I'm asking." Insisted Clarke, with a reassuring smile on her face.

Melody began to move towards the ladder that led to the second level. She could hear muffled voices coming from above, but they were unclear due to the small hatch that separated the two levels. There was still no denying the almost excited buzzing of chatter from the eighty something people that had been forced onto the second level.

The ladder was easy to climb, and soon enough Melody found herself at the hatch, which had been closed and sealed. She held onto the ladder with one hand and used the other to spin the locking mechanism in a counter-clockwise motion. She soon heard a soft click, and she knew that the little door was now unlocked. Melody pushed the metal hatch open and climbed the remainder of the steps.

Before Melody had even climbed up to the last rung of the ladder, there was a tanned hand extending itself in her direction. Melody's eyes slowly followed that tan hand, which connected to a tan arm, which led to what she assumed was a tan shoulder -beneath the wet tee-shirt that was currently sticking to it-, until they finally fell upon a familiar face. A pair of friendly, dark blue eyes met Melody's. It took her a few moments to recognize the guy who was holding his hand out to help her.

"Fletch!" Melody finally exclaimed after a few moments as she gripped the outstretched hand and hoisted herself to her feet.

"I was wondering if you'd remember me, LittleRed." Fletch replied as he pulled Melody to her feet easily, and then gave her arm another tug to pull her against his chest in a tight hug.

Melody did remember Fletch, although only vaguely. She had met him during their first day on Earth, almost immediately after the dropship had landed. Fletcher was one of Monty and Jasper's friends from the Ark. Melody hadn't seen Fletch even once since that day, which wasn't exactly hard to believe considering how many people lived in the camp.

Although she was a bit surprised to feel his arms wrapping around her body, Melody didn't try to fight the hug. Had it been anyone else, she probably would have shied away from the somewhat intimate physical contact. But there was just something about Fletch that Melody found extremely friendly and almost comforting. He had those big blue eyes, and a smile that made her feel warm inside, despite the cold.

"Of course I remember you. I haven't seen you since we landed." Melody said with a playful frown as she looked up at him. "Where've you been hiding?"

"Oh, you know. Just…around." He waved one hand carelessly, as if it wasn't really important where he had been.

"Uh-huh." Melody gave him a rather patronizing look. "Getting into trouble?"

A grin broke out across his face. "You already know me too well, Melody."

"Trouble seems to be unavoidable down here." She said with a slight shrug.

"Yeah, it does." Fletch grew quiet for a few moments, as if thinking. And then, he gave Melody a sheepish frown. "I heard about Jasper. About what happened with that spear and all."

The mention of Jasper's spearing -that's what they were so tactfully referring to the event as now- caused Melody to frown. It was then that she realized that Jasper's other friends had never come by to see him. It had always just been their newfound friends. Clarke, Finn, and Octavia. That explained the sheepish look Fletcher was giving her right now.

"Yeah. It was rough." Melody said simply.

"I believe you." Fletch said, nodding his head rapidly. "I wanted to see how he was doing. But I didn't want to see him like that. I didn't want to see him all…_dying._" He explained, shuddering slightly at the mere thought of his friend dying.

"It's some heavy shit." Melody said with a shrug. "Seeing your friend dying, I mean."

"Yeah…"

"No one blames you for not coming to see him, Fletch." The guilty expression on the boy's face was making Melody feel a bit antsy. "I doubt we would've even have let you in if you'd tried."

The guilt on the boy's face lessened considerably. But he looked at Melody now as if he wasn't sure he could believe her. "You sure?"

Melody nodded.

Yet another grin broke out on Fletch's face and he pulled Melody in for another hug that felt as if it were crushing her bones. The boy even went so far as to press a kiss against the top of Melody's head. His relief was beyond evident and Melody found herself smiling at his reaction to her simple words.

"You're the best chick I've ever met, Mel." Fletch insisted happily, still hugging Melody against his body as he swayed back and forth with delight.

The whole thing was a bit comical, really. All she'd done was let him off the hook for not visiting Jasper in the infirmary. But Fletcher was acting as if Melody had just handed him the world on a silver platter. Melody opened her mouth to laugh and say something else, but before she could get the words out, she heard another voice calling to her from above.

"Melody! Stop flirting and get your ass up here." Octavia called impatiently.

Melody turned her head to look up at Octavia, who was staring down at her from the third level. Octavia was bent over the small entry way to the third level, looking both furious and terrified as she waited for Melody. The girl was wringing her hands in her lap nervously as she watched Melody and Fletcher from above.

"Yeah, alright!" Melody called back, nodding to Octavia before she turned back to Fletcher.

"Duty calls?" He asked, his gaze traveling to Octavia for a moment before falling back to Melody once more.

"Yeah, something like that." Agreed Melody with an apologetic smile.

"Well hey, I'm sure I'll see you around." Fletcher assured her with a gentle hand placed upon her shoulder. He gave her a comforting squeeze before letting go.

"Definitely. Don't be a stranger. I'm sure the guys would love for you to hang around before you go back into hiding." Insisted Melody with a wide smile. "You should come by the tent. Tomorrow, maybe. They're out doing God knows what right now."

Suddenly, Fletcher was grinning once more.

"What?" Melody looked up at him with a puzzled little smile on her face.

"Jasper and Monty were right about you."

"Right about what?"

"You just fall so easily into everyone's lives."

"Oh." Melody's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She wasn't sure whether that was supposed to be a compliment or not. "Thank you?"

"It's a good thing, Melody. Real good." He assured her with a nod. "Anyways, I'll see you around. Okay?" Fletcher backed up a few steps and offered Melody a small wave before disappearing into the crowd of people. With Fletcher gone, Melody turned and hurried up the next ladder and towards Octavia.

The third level was seldom used. It was smaller than the other two, and was filled with a lot of wiring that no one wanted to touch. Today, it was where Bellamy and his handful of groupies decided to take action against the grounder.

"O, what's wrong?" Asked Melody anxiously as she reached her friend.

"Melody, they're going to hurt him. You've got to stop it. You've _got to._" Octavia insisted as she reached out to grab Melody -painfully- by the arms.

"Octavia, we can fix this. We can…"

That's when she saw it.

The grounder was off to the side of the room, chained to the wall. Long, heavy chains had been wrapped around both of his forearms and kept him anchored there. His feet were not bound, but there was no way he could get very far. If he so much as tried to pull on the chains he would wind up hurting himself. The grounder was unconscious, slouched forward. In front of him, Bellamy paced back and forth, with his knife in his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Fuming, Melody approached Bellamy with her hands clenched into fists at her sides. At the sound of her voice, Bellamy turned and looked at Melody. After a few seconds his eyes narrowed and he was flat out glaring. This only managed to further piss her off, because she had done nothing to deserve his anger.

"Get out of here, sweetheart." Bellamy practically growled the words at her. "This isn't a place for little girls."

"Piss off, Bellamy." Melody's voice was venomous as she practically spat the words at him. "I've got as much a right to be here as your little cronies." She snapped out, turning her glare onto the two boys who had chained up the grounder.

"I'm not screwing around, Melody. You need to leave."

"Neither am I." Melody stood her ground, refusing to be brushed off. "So…this is your master plan? Tying him up and _torturing _him?" She looked pointedly at the knife he was still grasping tightly in his right hand.

"We need information." Said Bellamy, sighing as he realized that Melody couldn't be swayed to leave peacefully.

"This isn't the right way to get it!"

"Then what's the right way, Melody?" Asked Bellamy as he took a step closer to her. The two of them were standing nose-to-nose, frowning at one another with anger and exasperation in their expressions. "Go on then, tell me."

Melody had no answer.

"That's what I thought. You're all so quick to reprimand me, yet none of you have got a better plan."

"Anything is better than _this._" She said, sweeping one hand out to gesture to the man in chains.

"Don't you care about what the grounders have done to our people? The _killed_ John. And Diggs. And Roma." Pointed out Bellamy. "They speared Jasper right through the chest."

"You don't know that it was him!" She protested decisively, with a shake of her head.

"You don't know it wasn't!" Bellamy's voice was an angry growl, and Melody could see that he was quickly losing his limited bit of patience with her. "What about Finn, huh? Don't you care about what _this _grounder did to him?"

"I care about justice. I care about not torturing what could possibly be an innocent man." Melody looked at the grounder, who seemed so fierce and dangerous even in his sleep. "We can't punish him for the actions of his people."

"No, but we can punish him for his own actions."

"What did he do that was so wrong, Bellamy?" Demanded Melody, frowning up at the older man. "He saved your sister, more than once. He was under attack and so he stabbed Finn. It was just self-defense."

"Stop defending him!" Roared Bellamy angrily as he continued forward until he was towering over Melody.

"If I don't defend him, no one will."

There was the sound of metal on metal as the chains began to rattle. Melody's head whipped to the side and she saw the grounder begin to stir. Her eyes darted back towards Bellamy, who was watching the grounder a bit uneasily.

"Whoa. He's awake!" Martin, one of Bellamy's goons, called out excitedly as the grounder's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Tie him tighter." Ordered Bellamy, as he finally stepped away from Melody to turn his hardened gaze towards Martin and Miller, his most trusted henchmen. "We don't need that bastard getting free because you screwed up."

Melody watched the grounder struggle as he fully regained consciousness. The male thrashed about, trying to free his arms in a panic. It was obvious that he was confused and maybe a bit scared. His eyes traveled between all of them quickly, before coming back to rest on his bindings. Over and over again, he pulled on the metal chains as hard as he could, but to no avail. Then, his panicked gaze darted around the room once more, before coming to land and focus on Octavia, who was now standing beside Melody. As if some magical switch had been flipped, the grounder froze. His eyes almost seemed to soften as he gazed at the raven-haired girl, who stared back at him wordlessly.

Melody wasn't the only one who noticed this.

"Octavia, get out of here." Bellamy ordered, scowling as he looked between the grounder and his sister. The unspoken connection between Octavia and the native was making everyone, Melody included, feel anxious.

"I _told you_. He was protecting me." Octavia insisted, as she moved closer to confront Bellamy. She gestured to the grounder and shook her head. "You didn't have to do this."

"This isn't about you. I'm doing this for all of us."

"You did _that_ for all of us?" Octavia's voice was quiet when she looked back to the grounder.

For the first time, Melody noticed that the grounder's face was covered in dried blood. It looked like someone had hit him in the face and the head repeatedly. His dark eyes stared back at them hauntingly. Melody felt sick to her stomach as she examined the grounder's physical state. Obviously, Bellamy had taken his hatred of the grounders out on the only native he could get his hands on.

"I did that for Finn. And Jasper. And Diggs and John and Roma." Bellamy insisted, looking between Octavia and Melody, who wore identical frowns.

"It wasn't even him!" Protested Octavia.

"You don't know that!" Bellamy shouted. He glared at Melody, as if _she_ was the one who had put those thoughts in Octavia's head. Honestly, it had been the other way around.

Melody looked away, her gaze once more falling on Bellamy's captive. Not only did she pity him, but she felt the oddest urge to protect him. It was an urge that came naturally, but it wasn't how Melody usually felt in regards to their enemies. Innocent or not, this grounder was still an enemy. Melody shouldn't be feeling like she had to keep him safe. In fact, she should be feeling the need to keep _herself_ safe; safe from his murderous glares.

But she didn't. Guilty or not, the grounder had saved Octavia's life. While Bellamy didn't believe his sister, Melody whole-heartedly did. Octavia wasn't an idiot, contrary to popular belief. Siding with the grounder did not make her stupid; it made her human. She felt grateful towards the grounder who had saved her, fixed her injuries, and then saved her again. While they all saw a beast, she saw a hero.

"We need to know what we're up against. How many there are and why they're killing us." Bellamy's words tore Melody away from her thoughts. She watched as he took a few steps towards the grounder, gaze darkening when he looked at the male. "And he's going to tell us."

Octavia reached out for Bellamy. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back. She wanted to make him see reason. "No, Bellamy. Please." She begged, shaking her head.

Bellamy looked annoyed as he shook Octavia off. He didn't even glance at her when he snapped out his next command. "Miller! Get her out of here."

Even as Bellamy's goons began to grab Octavia, she was still shouting at her brother. "I was there!" She struggled against the two boys. "Hey. Hey! Get off of me!"

Melody began to head for them, but Bellamy reached out and grabbed her before she took more than two steps. His strong arm wrapped around Melody's midsection, holding her back against his chest and preventing her from going to Octavia's side. Melody felt her anger surge once again as she watched the two boys attempt to get Octavia towards the ladder.

"Get your hands off of her!" Melody fought against Bellamy's hold. "I swear to _God_." Melody let the threat linger in the air between them. She knew in her head that Bellamy would never allow Miller or Martin to hurt Octavia. But in her heart? All she knew was that people did things they regretted. And she was sure that treating Octavia like this would be one of those things Bellamy came to regret.

Behind her, she could hear the sound of the grounder pulling on his chains. When Melody turned her head to look at him, she saw both anger and concern in his eyes. He was trying to get free, to get to Octavia. And somehow, the thought didn't scare Melody. In that moment, she _truly_ realized that Octavia was right. He didn't want to hurt her; he wanted to protect her. Any idiot with a pair of eyes could see that.

Luckily, Octavia managed to shake the two boys off by herself. She glared at them fiercely before she began to walk towards the ladder. Just as she reached it, she turned back around and looked at Melody with a frown.

"I don't even think he speaks English." Octavia said quietly, her voice quivering slightly. And then she turned her gaze towards Bellamy, and there was loathing in her eyes. "He won't understand you." With that, she began to descend down the ladder.

Bellamy had finally released Melody, who stood glaring at him. It disgusted her how easily he could just dismiss his sister, as if she were nothing more than an annoying voice in his ear. And it angered her how eager his henchman were to help rid him of Octavia. Did they not understand how wrong it was to silence her because they didn't agree? Apparently, Melody was the only person in the room with any common decency.

"Oh, I think he will." Bellamy said darkly, although Octavia wasn't around to his words. "Now tell me. What's your name?" He asked aloud, walking closer to the grounder, whose gaze had followed Octavia until she was out of sight.

Now, the grounder only had eyes for Bellamy. The wild man stared back at Bellamy, tilting his head slightly at the question. With Octavia gone, the male's eyes had lost their soft edge. He stared at Bellamy with hatred, but he no longer looked afraid. In fact, it was terrifying how calm he looked.

"What's your name?" Bellamy shouted the question this time, as if raising his voice would help him be understood by a man who was believed to speak another language.

"Bellamy, you don't have to do this." Melody said, shaking her head in disgust as she watched him come face-to-face with the grounder. "Please, _don't _do this."

"Miller-" Bellamy began, but he was quickly cut off by Melody.

"Miller, you come near me and you're going to regret the day you were born." Promised Melody, turning to glower at the boy who had already taken a few steps in her direction.

Miller paused, looking between Bellamy and Melody hesitantly. But with a determined look, he began to stride towards Melody once more. The look on his face was one Melody had seen before. A look of pride and determination and importance. It was then that she realized he was now Bellamy's second in command.

Melody reached down and snatched up the knife that was hanging by at her side, tethered to her belt. The sharp edge gleamed in the light when Melody held it defensively, looking at Miller with a serious expression on her face. "I warned you. Just like I warned Murphy." Melody said, remembering the day she'd stabbed Bellamy's _previous_ Lieutenant in an attempt to keep him away from Jasper.

"Boss?" Miller looked to Bellamy with a frown. He was torn between following the order he'd been given and keeping himself from being stabbed. No one doubted Melody's ability when it came to such matters.

Bellamy sighed irritably as he looked between the two of them. Shaking his head, he turned back towards the grounder. Only when Miller had stepped away from her did Melody slowly return the knife to its resting place. And then, she stepped closer to watch Bellamy and the grounder.

"What's your name?" Bellamy repeated himself for the third time, sounding rather angry and impatient.

Once again, the grounder didn't answer. Melody sighed softly as she watched them. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what to do. To help the grounder would be betraying her people. Helping Bellamy would be betraying her morals. Melody was at a standstill.

Melody went to step forward, when suddenly there was a loud banging sound. The whole ship seemed to shake, and Melody stumbled slightly before tripping. She fell with one knee bent, almost in a kneeling position. There were several shouts from downstairs as everyone else was shaken by the impact against the ship.

"Miller, go." Ordered Bellamy, who had also been jarred by the impact. "See what's happening downstairs."

Bellamy moved towards Melody to help her to her feet, but Melody ignored his outstretched hand completely. She climbed to her feet and brushed herself off, all the while looking defiantly at Bellamy. When she refused his help, his own expression soured and he retracted his hand slowly.

"I'm doing this to protect you, Melody. To protect all of us." Bellamy said once again as he watched her wearily. No doubt he was thinking about the damage this whole ordeal was doing to their already fragile friendship.

"No, Bellamy. You're making things worse." Melody told him, with a shake of her head. "Don't you see? You're either going to let him go or kill him. If you let him go, chances are he kills us. _Or _he goes back to get his people, who then kill us. And if you kill him, his people are going to find out…and then kill us. See a pattern?"

Bellamy's brow furrowed as he looked down at Melody, thinking over his words. Melody knew it wouldn't be so simple to sway Bellamy to her side. And it didn't really matter anymore; the damage was already done. She was just hoping to minimize the causalities.

"We need to _know_." He said, finally. "We need to know what we're up against or we can't prepare."

"Prepare for _what_?"

"War." He said simply, looking at Melody as if it should have been obvious. "They've already begun killing our people, Melody. Why would they stop now? We can both lay down and die, or we can stand up and fight."

Melody frowned. She'd never thought of it from Bellamy's point of view. The way he saw it, they were already in the middle of a war. They were soldiers who had to fight for and avenge one another. They were no longer children; they were warriors. War was bloody and scary and unpredictable. This was Bellamy's way of getting the upper hand. He wasn't just trying to figure out what they were up against. In the back of his mind, he was trying to develop their battle tactics.

With Bellamy's view in mind, Melody thought things over for a few moments. When it came down to it, she couldn't bring herself to condone what he was doing. Melody refused to give him her blessing on torturing the grounder. Whether they "had to" or not, it was still wrong.

"You've got the choice, Bellamy." Melody said softly. She seemed to always be telling him this, but apparently the words never sunk in.

Bellamy looked away from her then, his gaze falling towards where Miller was climbing back through the hatch. His face hardened once more and he was back to being the guy who had to make all of the hard decisions. It was such a shame that he always ended up making the wrong ones.

"What the hell was that?" Wondered Bellamy. "We under attack or not?"

"Storm damage. We're okay." Miller assured him.

Bellamy nodded curtly before turning back to the grounder. "We're gonna try this one more time." He told the grounder slowly, sounding just as threatening as he looked. But the grounder was not phased. "What's your name?" When the grounder failed to answer, Bellamy continued to rattle off questions. "Where's your camp? How many of you are there?"

He was interrupted by Miller's voice saying, "Hey. Check it out."

Bellamy and Melody both turned to look at Miller, who was holding up some kind of tin container. Miller and Martin were both looking through the grounder's things. Amongst his clothing had been the tin container, and other numerous things that they were pulling out of pockets. Interested, Bellamy walked away from the grounder and went to crouch beside Miller and Martin.

While Bellamy walked away, Melody moved closer. She stood directly in front of the grounder, staring at him with wonder. Slowly, the grounder's gaze went from the boys on the floor to Melody. He stared at her blankly for a few moments, before his gaze narrowed slightly. His eyes left hers and drifted upwards, towards the top of her head.

"What?" Melody asked, as if expecting an answer. Her hands followed his gaze, and she reached up, only to feel nothing out of the ordinary. All she felt was her hair, which was still drawn up into a ponytail and secured by Octavia's ribbon. For a few moments Melody was confused. It was, after all, just hair. It took a few more moments for Melody to piece together why the grounder was staring at her so intently, with just a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Have you never seen red hair?" Asked Melody, raising her eyebrows slightly.

If Melody wasn't mistaken, the grounder shook his head ever so slightly.

Before she could think better of it, Melody gasped. Octavia had said he didn't speak English. So, why did it seem like he could understand her? And if he could understand her, then he could understand all of them…couldn't he?

"What? Did he do something?" Called Bellamy eagerly, from across the room.

The grounder and Melody stared at one another. His black eyes bore into her green ones, and Melody saw the coldness return to his gaze. His whole body was suddenly tense and he almost seemed to be leaning away from her.

"No." Melody called over her shoulder, shaking her head.

She gazed up at the grounder, who still looked every bit as hostile as he had before. Perhaps Melody had been imagining the whole thing. While he _had_ look interested in her hair, she knew that there was no way he could have shaken his head. He didn't speak English.

"There aren't a lot of redheads on the Ark, either." Admitted Melody, with a hesitant smile. She wasn't sure why she was still talking. It wasn't like he knew what she was saying. But that didn't stop Melody from making idle chitchat. "Not that it's really red. It's more of an orangish, wouldn't you say? Well of course you wouldn't. You can't talk."

"Melody, are you _conversing_ with that…thing?" Asked Miller in a surprised and confused voice. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"He's better company than you guys." Melody snapped back at him, with a scowl. "He actually _listens_ to me."

"Yeah when he's not trying to rip out your throat."

"I'll show you 'rip out your'-"

"Shut it, you two." Ordered Bellamy impatiently. "I found something."

Bellamy held up a little brown journal. At the sight of it, the grounder pulled on the chains once more and made a sound of protest. It became clear immediately that he didn't want them to see whatever was in that book. And that, of course, made Bellamy all the more eager to open it.

Melody watched as he went through the book slowly. Finally, she couldn't resist the temptation. She joined the guys, peering over Bellamy's shoulder as he went through the little journal. From what she could tell, it was some sort of a sketchbook. There were various nature scenes, a drawing of a pretty brunette girl whom they all recognized as Octavia, and a picture of their camp. Next to the drawing of the camp was a lot of little tally marks. Some of them were crossed out, but the majority remained.

"It's our camp. I'm guessing if I counted all those marks, it would add up to 102. Ten are crossed out. That's how many people we've lost." Bellamy said, pointing to the x's that had been drawn over some of the tally marks. He was quiet for a few seconds as he stood up and crossed the room once more. He stood before the grounder with an accusing scowl. "They've been watching us ever since we got here."

The boys went back to pouring over the sketchbook and questioning the grounder about what they saw. Melody was getting tired of it. She was tired of everything, of the whole damn situation. All she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep and forget that they were in the middle of some kind of grounder war.

Was that too much to ask for?

The sound of the hatch being opened once more caused one of the boys to begin walking towards it. Melody expected to see Octavia trying to force her way back through. Instead, she saw Clarke, who looked tired and pissed off. When one of the guys stood in front of her and tried to stop her from entering the level, she only looked more annoyed.

"Get the hell out of my way." Ordered Clarke.

Bellamy waved her through and Clarke came to stand beside them. Her blue eyes were drawn immediately to the grounder, and Clarke looked at him uneasily. The grounder stared back evenly, looking as angry as he had ever since Octavia walked out of the room.

"Well if he didn't hate us before, he does now." Clarke said, looking at Bellamy.

"Who cares?" He retorted.

"How's Finn?" Asked Melody, looking at Clarke anxiously. If Clarke had left his side, only one of two things could have happened. Either he made it through the procedure or….the latter option was too painful to even think about.

"Alive." Clarke assured her with a nod.

Melody felt relief surge through her body so powerfully that it almost made her drop to her knees. _Alive._ Melody had never realized what a beautiful word it was until they'd come down to Earth. On the Ark, people lived and they died and no one really batted an eyelash. On Earth, life was just so precious.

Melody was so relieved that she barely heard Clarke's next words.

"His people will care." Clarke said, looking at Bellamy with a disapproving frown. It took Melody a few moments to remember Bellamy's heartless comment when Clarke had mentioned the grounder hating them. _Who cares_? And now, she couldn't help but to thank God someone else with a brain was in the room. Hadn't she just said nearly the same thing as Clarke?

Bellamy looked at the rest of them for a few moments before grabbing Clarke by the arm and hauling her over to an abandoned corner. Melody was tempted to follow them, to offer some sort of insight on the situation, but she really couldn't deal with their issues as co-leaders on top of everything else. Instead of trailing behind them, she stood by the grounder and watched Bellamy's goons suspiciously, as if expecting them to try something.

"Don't tell me you're going to protect him if it comes down to it, Melody." Miler scoffed at her, looking bemused when he noticed her defensive stance in front of the prisoner. "He's a _grounder._"

"He is a human being." Melody replied simply, scowling at Miller. She didn't expect him to understand where she was coming from. "And he doesn't deserve whatever your twisted minds have planned for him."

"Why do you even _care_? What did he ever do for you?" Asked Martin.

"I'm not defending him because he did something for me." Snapped Melody, giving the both of them an annoyed look. "It's called human decency. _Everyone _deserves a fair chance."

"Yeah, tell that to the Ark." Muttered Martin.

"We're not the Ark." Miller said, crossing both arms over his chest as he watched Melody with a newfound fascination. For a moment, Melody thought that maybe she'd actually managed to get through to him. But then, he spoke again. "We're the 100. We do what we have to in order to _survive._"

The two of them stared at one another for a few moments. It was then that Melody saw Miller for what he was. The devil horns and pitchfork somehow vanished, leaving in their place a frightened, defenseless boy. And she got the sense that he understood where she was coming from, even if he didn't take her side on the matter. All he wanted to do was ensure his survival. And somehow, that made Melody feel a little bit better.

"We do whatever Bellamy tells us to do." Corrected Martin sullenly. It seemed that he now realized that Miller was just doing his job. It was obvious that Martin didn't enjoy their lack of devotion to Bellamy.

"_You_ do whatever Bellamy tells you to." Melody said, frowning at him. "_I _do what I think is right."

"And what the hell makes you so special, huh?" Martin wondered, glowering down at Melody.

"I-"

Melody opened her mouth to argue, but suddenly there was an audible thud from one of the lower levels. It sounded similar to a body hitting the floor. Tilting her head, Melody attempted to listen for any sign of fighting or yelling. Fights weren't exactly uncommon around camp. Melody herself provoked a lot of them. And the rest of the rights were fueled by teenage hormones and angst.

"What did you hear?" Muttered Miller, who was now looking at Melody with a frown.

"I don't know." Mel whispered softly, shaking her head slightly.

"She didn't _hear_ anything." Martin said obnoxiously, rolling his eyes at the both of them. "She's just avoiding the question."

"It sounded like maybe someone fell or something. I was waiting for someone to start yelling. Maybe it was nothing."

"Oh come off it. You didn't hear shit." Martin said harshly, the glower still present on his face. "Now I'll ask you again-"

"_Clarke! He's seizing!_"

Raven's voice drifted up from the first level, faint because of the distance between them, but still loud enough for everyone to hear the terror and desperation in her voice. No one needed to ask who "he" was. They all knew that it was Finn. Clarke had insisted that he was alive, but obviously something hadn't gone as planned. And with no source of medicine or doctors on Earth, things like seizures could be fatal. Finn wasn't out of the woods yet.

Clarke ran across the room and lowered herself down the hatch. Melody could hear her frantic voice as she ordered everyone on the second level to get out of her way. The sound of her footsteps grew fainter and fainter until they could no longer be heard. When Clarke could no longer be seen or heard, Melody turned her attention back towards Martin.

"What were you saying, you jackass?" Melody scowled at Martin, who still looked just as angry as Melody felt.

"Whatever." Martin dismissed Finn in a way that made Melody's vision take on a red tinge as her anger threatened to boil over. "You didn't answer my question. What makes you so special, sweetheart, that you don't have to follow the same rules as everyone else?"

"Can it, Martin." Bellamy drawled lazily as he walked towards them. "It's not your place to reprimand anyone. And trust me, she doesn't take criticism well." He took his time walking over, and when he reached them he frowned down at the slightly shorter guy. "And don't call her _sweetheart._"

Martin looked taken aback by Bellamy's words, but he immediately fell silent and nodded his head, waiting for Bellamy's next order. Melody and Miller exchanged an almost surprised look before they, too, turned their attention towards Bellamy. He was striding forward and looking at the grounder -who had been watching them all with interest- once more.

"Still have no answers for me?"

No reply.

"Have it your way, then."

Bellamy raised his knife, the sharpened edge glittering dangerously when the light hit it once more. Melody sucked her breath in sharply, watching as Bellamy stepped closer and closer to the grounder. She saw the imprisoned male shrink back slightly, away from the blade. Although his face showed no sign of emotion, Melody could see the worry in his eyes. She had to do something now, before it was too late.

Melody threw herself forward, lashing out in an attempt to get the knife away from both Bellamy and the grounder. She barely even felt the blade as it sliced through her skin, deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough to leave any lasting damage. She collided with Bellamy, sending them both sprawling to the ground. The knife flew out of his hand and skidded across the floor, landing a few feet away from the both of them.

When she heard the knife fall away, Melody rolled off of Bellamy and onto the floor, finally registering the burning sensation that was quickly creeping up her injured arm. She could hear him shouting at her, but the words didn't reach her ears. She was too preoccupied by the gash in her arm, just the width of Bellamy's blade. Blood was pouring out of the wound. Had she really just gotten herself stabbed?

Melody was stunned by her actions and she looked down at her bloody arm with a hint of satisfaction and pride. She had accomplished her goal. She had stopped Bellamy from harming the grounder, even if it would only be for a few minutes. Who knew she had it in her? But man…being stabbed hurt like a bitch. Melody could sympathize with both Finn and Jasper now.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Bellamy shouted as he hastily wrapped a piece of cloth around her arm.

"Stop yelling at me, damn it. I'm bleeding out!" Melody shouted.

The horrified look on Bellamy's face was priceless. Melody probably shouldn't have found it funny, but she did. Bellamy's usually tan face had gone as white as a sheet. Melody would have been content to revel in his worry all day, but the look of guilt on his face that followed directly after wiped the smirk off of hers.

"Why would you get in front of my knife?"

"What's the matter, Bellamy? You wouldn't be freaking out if _he_ was the one bleeding." Accused Melody, jerking her head in the direction of the grounder, who was now watching them, along with everyone else in the room.

"But he's not, Melody. _You _are." Bellamy looked at her, obviously surprised -and a bit awed- by her recklessness.

By now, he should have known to expect anything where Melody was involved.

"Yeah, well…I'll survive." Melody easily pushed herself into a sitting position. Her arm burned as if someone were holding a flame to it. The pain wasn't great enough for there to have been any internal damage done, so that was a plus.

"You just got stabbed." Bellamy said slowly, watching as Melody eased herself onto her feet.

"And?"

"And you're just going to go about your business as usual?"

"I don't have time to screw around." Melody frowned down at Bellamy and offered her hand to help him up.

He took it, rising slowly as if in a daze. Once Bellamy was on his feet, Melody crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him seriously. She had to play her next few cards right. Maybe if she did, there would be hope for the grounder yet.

"Apparently I have to be on my deathbed for you to listen to me." Melody muttered, looking up at Bellamy with a frown. Louder, she said, "He's someone's me. He might be a son, a brother, a husband, a father…And you're prepared to do _this_ to him?" She asked, gesturing to the bandage on her arm, which was wrapped tightly around the skin just beneath her shoulder.

"Melody…"

Bellamy looked, for the first time, torn. He looked as if he didn't know how to continue. As if Melody had _finally_ gotten through to him. The unsure look on his face lasted for all of thirty seconds, before it was wiped away by the sound of someone banging on the hatch, which had been locked from their side.

"_Hey! Open the door!" _Clarke shouted, pounding her fist relentless against the other side of the metal door.

After a moment, Miller went and hesitantly unlocked the door. When he pulled it open, Clarke began making her way up the remainder of the ladder. Miller's arms blocked the last few rungs, which infuriated the blonde doctor.

"Get out of my way, Miller." When he failed to move, she began to shout. "Now!" Clarke had returned with a newfound rage that puzzled them all.

Behind her was Octavia, climbing up swiftly while there was no one there to block the entrance. As Octavia approached Melody slowly, Clarke powered ahead to stand in front of the grounder. The look on her face was murderous when she held up the bloody knife, which Melody assumed she had taken out of Finn's chest.

"What's on this?" Demanded Clarke.

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy asked, stepping forward.

"He poisoned the blade!" Clarke announced angrily, not tearing her gaze away from the silent grounder.

Melody and Octavia exchanged a look. The fear in Octavia's eyes made Melody frown, but she didn't offer the girl any comfort. Instead, she took another step forward and watched the grounder, who was as straight-faced as ever. _Poison. _Of course he'd used poison. If the knife hit its target, they were sure to die no matter what. While Clarke had been trying to save Finn's life, the grounder had known that it was no use. Yet he'd just sat there, silent.

"All this time you knew Finn was going to die no matter what we did." Clarke accused, holding the knife up higher for him to see. "What is it?" She shouted angrily, the fear in her voice evident. "Is there an antidote?"

"Clarke, he doesn't understand you." said Octavia.

"The vials." Bellamy said suddenly, turning around to snatch up the tin container that Miller had found earlier. "It's gotta be here."

"You'd have to be stupid to have a poison around this long without an antidote." Muttered Clarke as she took the container and began looking through the vials.

Melody frowned as she watched Clarke, afraid that the girl was wasting her time. They didn't even know what the poison was. None of them had any experience with stuff like this. And even if they _did_, none of them would have known which vial contained the right antidote. Whatever poison they had on Earth was a mystery to all of the delinquents.

"Which one?" Clarke demanded, holding the container out slightly for the grounder to see.

"Answer the question!" Shouted Bellamy, when the grounder remained silent.

"Show us. Please." Begged Octavia, frowning.

They were all wasting their breath. The grounder either didn't understand what was going on, or he didn't want to give them an answer. Melody wasn't sure which answer was more likely at the moment. Not even Octavia's gentle pleading could soften the grounder now.

"Which one? Our friend is dying down there and you can stop that." Clarke urged, sounding as if she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

The grounder just continued to stare at them. Blood still coated his face and one of his eyes was now swollen shut. It seemed as if he didn't want to talk to them. He didn't want them to know anything about him or his poison or the antidote for it. Even someone who spoke a different language should have tried communicating by now.

Clarke looked helplessly to Bellamy, as if waiting for him to do something. Bellamy noticed her glance, and he met Melody's eye over the top of Clarke's head. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if remembering Melody's reaction the last time he'd tried to take action against the grounder. After a moment he looked away and bent down to pick up his knife, which still lay on the ground in front of them.

"I'll get him to talk." Bellamy assured Clarke, as he began to stride forward, towards the grounder.

"Bellamy no!" Octavia reached out and grabbed his arm, once more trying to restrain him.

Bellamy spun around, unleashing the full force of his anger on Octavia. "He wants Finn to die! Why can't you see that?" Bellamy was panting as a result of the anger he felt as he looked down at Octavia. After a few moments his gaze swung towards Clarke. "Do you want him to live or not?"

Clarke looked between Bellamy and the grounder, as if debating her answer. Melody was surprised at how quickly Clarke had gone from wanting to keep things clean to wanting the grounder's information at any cost. Then again, Melody knew that if it was the boy _she_ loved laying on a bed, dying, she would have been the one wielding the knife. Everyone was torn between not wanting to spill blood and wanting to keep Finn alive.

Octavia rounded on Clarke then.

"Clarke, you even said it yourself. This is _not_ who we are. He was protecting me!" Octavia said passionately, placing one hand over her heart as she spoke. "He saved my life."

"We are talking about _Finn's_ life!" Bellowed Bellamy, as he tried to get his sister to see the logic behind his desire to get information out of the grounder.

"Do it." Clarke said, her voice void of any hesitation.

Octavia looked at Clarke, taken aback by her words. For a few moments the girl just stared and spluttered, at a loss for words. When she finally seemed to regain her voice, she was moving towards the grounder quickly.

"Just tell us!" Cried Octavia, as a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

Miller pulled Octavia back, away from the grounder. Martin also moved forward to help, pulling her a safe distance away from everyone else. Octavia thrashed in their arms, trying to get back to the grounder so she could convince him to help them.

"Let her go." Melody commanded, shoving them away from Octavia.

The two boys obliged, but they moved to block the path towards Bellamy and the grounder. Both Martin and Miller stood before them, arms barred over their chests as they did their best to look like a solid wall. There would be no getting past the two of them, no matter how many threats Melody voiced.

"Octavia, don't watch." Melody urged, wrapping her arms around the girl's shaking form.

The two girls were almost the same height, but Octavia was just an inch or two taller than Melody. Where Melody was skinny and petite, Octavia's body was more muscular and defined. The size difference in the two girls was definitely noticeable and made things a bit difficult, but it didn't stop Melody from enveloping Octavia in her embrace. She tried to shield O from the scene unfolding before them, but it was no use. Neither girl could tear their gaze away from Bellamy.

First, he walked towards the seats that were off to one side of the room. Bellamy cut through one of the seatbelts and draped it over one shoulder. And then, he began to approach the grounder. Bellamy cut through the fabric of the other male's shirt, tearing it off of his body. The lack of clothing revealed a muscular chest, which was decorated with markings that Melody had never seen before. She assumed they were some sort of tribal symbols that he'd had tattooed onto his body.

"You're going to tell us, or you're going to wish you had." Warned Bellamy.

They all watched in expectation as Bellamy moved to stand before the grounder once more. They were all silent as they watched him, not knowing what to expect. It was a few moments before Bellamy pulled the seatbelt off of his shoulder. Everyone seemed to realize what his intent was then. Octavia pushed away from Melody and took a step closer to Bellamy, her eyes wide with fear.

"Bellamy, no." Octavia said, shaking her head quickly as she looked between him and the grounder. "Please."

Bellamy ignored her.

The sound of the seatbelt whirling through the air could be heard, followed by the sound of the metal buckle connecting with the grounder's skin. Melody flinched as she heard the impact, followed by the grounder grunting in pain. Her heart was beating wildly as she watched Bellamy observing the grounder, who remained silent apart from the quiet grunt.

For the first time, she realized how real all of this was. They were standing in the dropship with a _captive _who they had chained to the wall. They had a prisoner. They had a prisoner and they were beating the information out of him. Everyone always talked about how they wished they could get revenge on the grounders. Revenge for Jasper and Roma and Diggs and John and Finn. But _wishing_ and actually _doing_ were two very different things.

It was then that Melody realized they were no longer children of the Ark. No longer children _at all_. They had been sent down here to die, but for some reason they hadn't. They had survived and they had begun to create their own society and they were learning to live with the decisions they made. They were no longer just a group of teenagers that had fallen from the sky.

They were grounders.

They were fierce and they were dangerous and they were willing to do just about anything if it meant ensuring their own survival. Clarke and Bellamy were their leaders now. The Ark was just a distant memory and the Chancellor's law meant absolutely nothing. These thoughts terrified Melody to her core, but they also awakened something inside of her. Something primal and instinctive. And all at once, Melody feared what they had become.

The belt lashed out again, this time making contact with the grounder's head. Melody ground her teeth together in an effort to keep herself from crying out. There was a new cut on his head, which was oozing fresh blood. The worst part about everything was the fact that Melody no longer felt guilty. She still felt that this was wrong, of course, but she no longer felt ashamed of their actions. They were doing what they had to. To _survive._

While Clarke fell to her knees before the grounder and began to show him the antidotes, Melody and Octavia both stepped forward slightly. Melody wasn't quite sure why Octavia felt the need to inch forward, but she was going to stand by her side through all of this. Deep down she knew that this was necessary, but that didn't mean she liked it. It was painful for Melody to watch, so she couldn't even imagine what Octavia was going through.

Clarke had spilled the vials from the container and she laid them all out before the grounder, so that he could clearly see each and every one. "Which one's the antidote?"

"Just tell them." Octavia pleaded, obviously not wanting to see the grounder go through any more pain.

They all looked between the grounder and Octavia. For a moment Melody thought he might actually listen to her. There seemed to be some unspoken connection between the two of them that no one else really understood. Time seemed to pass slowly as they all waited for some signal as to which antidote was the right one. But then, the grounder stood straighter and re-adjusted himself before tensing, waiting for the new blow of Bellamy's make-shift whip. It was obvious that he would take whatever Bellamy dished out before he would consider helping them.

Bellamy moved forward and put a gentle hand on Clarke's shoulder. She sighed softly before standing up and walking quickly away from him. Clarke returned to the spot she'd been standing at before and took a deep breath before looking up and watching Bellamy once more. Octavia let out a helpless sort of sound and Melody moved closer to wrap her arm around the girl's shoulders.

Once more the belt cut through the air and the buckle end of it connected with the grounder's skin. He grunted again and pulled back slightly, his head lowering. Before he could recover, the buckle was connecting with his chest one more, and he was staggering back again. Welts were springing up wherever the metal impacted his skin.

The only sound that filled the air was ragged breathing and grunting. Bellamy grunted each time he swung the belt, and the grounder grunted each time it made contact. Melody held Octavia close and they both watched in horror, wishing that they could figure out some solution where everyone got what they wanted. But it was far too late for that now.

Finn was important to Clarke, and Clarke was important to Bellamy. Although he and Clarke butted heads more often than not, he cared about her as both a co-leader and a friend. If Melody knew one thing about Bellamy, it was that he too had a desire to protect those he cared about at all costs. That was something she could understand, even though Octavia could not. You did crazy things for the people you cared about.

Melody did still care for Finn, but it wasn't the same kind of caring that she felt for her other friends. Finn had Raven and Clarke to worry over him now. Melody found she didn't _have to _worry about Finn, which let her be a bit more thoughtful about the whole situation. She could distance herself and try not to be biased. But she knew that if it had been Octavia or Bellamy with the poison running through their body, Melody would have been the first person to suggest beating answers out of the grounder. And if it had been Jasper or Monty, she doubted they'd have been able to keep her from killing the grounder.

Yes, if it had been _personal_, she might have felt different about torturing the grounder for answers.

Once more the sound of the belt cutting through the air sounded. Melody stiffened and forced herself not to flinch when the buckle bounced off of the grounder's skin. When Bellamy pulled away, he was panting with exertion. The grounder was rocking back and forth slightly as his knees trembled. Melody wasn't sure how long this had been going on now. She'd been too lost in her thoughts to count the number of blows, but she guessed it would range between ten and twenty.

"Enough!" Octavia finally cried.

"_Clarke! He's getting worse._" Raven's voice came from somewhere down below.

"We're running out of time." Clarke fell to the ground in front of the grounder once more. She re-arranged the vials again and pointed to them desperately. "Which one? Which one is it?" She asked desperately, her voice cracking. "If you tell us, they'll stop."

The grounder remained defiant as always. He shifted slightly and then stood up straight once more, staring down at them. His mouth was set in a grim line and he showed no signs of cooperation. Melody had to admit he was handling the whole situation with a lot of bravery…and also stupidity. He could end it all with just one glance in the direction of the right vial.

"Please tell us which is the antidote and they'll stop this." Clarke continued to beg, but to no avail.

Bellamy threw the belt on the ground angrily, and moved to pick up his knife once more. He looked at them all, and then the grounder. "If that doesn't work, maybe this will."

Melody's hand drifted up to brush against the fabric wrapped around the opposite arm. She remembered the bite of the blade all too well. Although it had stopped burning, the wound was still tender and sore and it stung ever so slightly. Melody bit down gently on her bottom lip as she thought of the pain the grounder would soon be in.

If only he would tell them where the antidote was.

"Clarke, you don't have to be here for this." Bellamy assured her, noticing the effect it was having on her.

"I'm not leaving until I get that antidote." Clarke's voice was final.

"Melody." Bellamy turned his gaze towards her with a frown. He didn't say anything else, but he didn't need to. Melody could hear the question without him having to speak it.

"Bellamy." Melody said with a frown, shaking her head slightly. She hadn't wanted it to come to this. But now that it had, she wasn't going to chicken out. "I can handle it."

Bellamy looked grim, but he nodded. Melody inched closer to Octavia, who looked horrified at the thought of what Bellamy might do. Melody was much better at keeping Octavia contained than the rest of them. All they wanted to do was get her out of the way, whereas Melody wanted to help her through everything. None of this had been easy, but Melody had been there every step of the way. She was willing to shoulder Octavia's pain. She was eager to catch her tears. Melody didn't have much experience with being someone's best friend, but she figured that this was the sort of thing she was supposed to do.

"Last chance." Bellamy warned the grounder quietly.

The grounder neither said nor did anything. He stared straight ahead, not even looking at Bellamy when he spoke. Bellamy waited a few moments, waiting for him to say anything, but the grounder remained silent.

Melody watched Bellamy bring his hand back, and when he thrust it forward, the grounder let out another soft sound of pain. When Bellamy let go of the handle, the weapon stayed in place. The knife had gone clean through the grounder's hand. Although he made no further sound, the grounder's hand trembled uncontrollably, and blood dripped down onto the floor.

It took everything she had to force herself not to gag. Beside Melody, Octavia stiffened. Both girls watched in horror as blood continued to trickle slowly down to land in a gathering puddle on the floor. Melody's hand found Octavia's, and she gave the girl a gentle squeeze. Melody wasn't sure who needed who's strength at the moment.

"_What's taking so long_?" Raven's voice grew loud, and it was only moments before she was climbing through the doorway. Her eyes caught Clarke's and she rushed forward. "He stopped breathing."

"What!?" Clarke went to move, but Raven pushed her back gently.

"He started again, but next time, he might not."

"He won't tell us anything!" Said Clarke. She looked and sounded as exasperated as the rest of them felt. Everyone just wanted for this to be over. They'd had their little taste of torture, and it was a truly sickening thing.

Raven looked around for a few moments. Her eye caught something across the room and she hurried to it, muttering. "Oh yeah?" Raven bent down beside a bunch of wires and pulled, yanking them out of the wall. Sparks formed and fell around her as she picked up the wires.

"What are you doing?" Asked Bellamy.

"Showing him something new." Raven rubbed the ends of the wire together until sparks began to fly.

Raven began to approach the grounder, still rubbing the ends of the wires together. The male made frantic noises as he attempted to back away from the girl. If Melody had to guess, she would say that he had never seen electricity before. She didn't blame him for being afraid of the unknown. Electricity was tricky and no one quite knew how it worked. They knew how to harness it, sure, but that was about it. Even they were not immune to electricity. As helpful as it was, it was also extremely dangerous. If you didn't know what you were doing, you were likely to get a nasty shock.

They all watched as Raven brought the wires closer to the grounder. She placed the bare ends on his chest, and suddenly his body began to shudder uncontrollably. The grounder was shouting now, no longer able to brush of the pain as he pulled violently on his bindings.

Beside Melody, Octavia was biting down on her lower lip, hard. Seeing the grounder in pain was causing Octavia pain, and Melody wanted nothing more than to go up and take the wires from Raven. But she couldn't. If she did, Finn would die and they would have accomplished nothing today. So, Melody watched with a solemn expression on her face and remained silent.

"Which one is it?" Raven demanded, watching as the grounder continued to shake, even after the electricity had been taken away. "Come on!" Shouted Raven, looking frantic as she brought the wires back to his chest.

The lights began to flicker as all of the power was drawn into those two wires. The grounder was still shaking and panting heavily as the electricity spread throughout his body. Raven looked nearly hysterical when she withdrew the wires for the second time. Still, the grounder didn't say anything. He just continued to pant and whimper quietly as he electricity took its toll.

"He's all I have!" Raven was sobbing now as she shouted at the grounder.

Melody was so preoccupied with the scene in front of her that she didn't see Octavia dive for the grounder's knife, which lay on the floor next to them. By the time Melody realized that Octavia had the knife, it was far too late for her to do anything about it.

"No more!" Octavia shouted, glaring at no one in particular.

"He's letting Finn _die._" Sobbed Raven angrily, as she glowered at Octavia.

Tears glistened in Octavia's eyes as she brought the knife down to her arm. They all watched in horror as she placed the tip of the blade in the middle of her inner arm, and began to cut downwards. Crimson liquid followed the knife in a neat trail that stretched four or five inches down her arm.

"Octavia, no!" Bellamy called out, but it was too late.

The cut wasn't very deep, but it was deep enough. The poison would have already been entering her bloodstream by now. If they didn't get the antidote, Octavia and Finn would both die.

"He won't let _me_ die." Octavia insisted quietly.

Melody may have been the only one to realize that Octavia's actions had been ingenious. If the grounder had wanted Octavia dead, she would have been dead a long time ago. For some reason, he didn't want her hurt. He wanted to protect her. There was some sort of strange bond between the two of them that not even Melody fully understood. But she knew enough about it to be confident that the grounder would not let Octavia die.

Octavia pushed forward, brushing passed Bellamy, who reached out and tried to stop her. Dropping to her knees in front of the grounder, Octavia began to arrange the vials. The grounder looked down at Octavia with a pained look on his face. She pointed to a vial and questioned him, but he continued to look at her sadly. It took a few more prodding words before the grounder jerked his head towards one of the vials. When Octavia picked it up and held it for his inspection, he nodded.

Octavia held the vial out to Clarke, who muttered a soft thank you. She and Raven ran for the ladder in a hurry to get back to Finn. Octavia began to pick up the grounder's torn shirt from the ground. Melody bent down to help her, offering the other girl a reassuring smile before she began to pick up the small vials. Octavia flashed her a grateful smile and slid the container towards Melody.

Bellamy reached down and touched Octavia's shoulder gently, but she jerked away from him as if his touch had burned her. Eyes dark with anger, she scowled up at Bellamy. "Don't touch me." She snapped at him as she moved closer to Melody, who had now placed all of the vials back in their container.

Octavia's gaze met the grounder's once more, and something unspoken passed between the two of them. It brought a smile to Melody's face for some unknown reason. There was just something so special about being able to communicate with a single look. It must have been wonderful know a person so well that you didn't even have to say a word to know what they were thinking. Just one little look and you could convey a thousand unspoken words.

_I wonder what it feels like_, thought Melody, a bit bitterly. _To know someone better than they know themselves. To communicate with just your eyes. _

She looked up suddenly, not even knowing what made her do so. Melody wasn't surprised to find that Bellamy was already looking at her. His dark eyes held a mixture of emotions. Sadness, guilt, and disappointment. He was hurt by Octavia's rejection, but he understood it. When their eyes met, Melody seemed to know the words that Bellamy didn't say aloud; _what do I do now? _

A smile found its way onto Melody's face.

_Oh, that's right_, she thought happily, as she climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. _I already know what it feels like. _

With that thought in mind, she crossed the room to console Bellamy.


	17. Chapter 17

Okay, so I don't know if any of you readers have ever heard of this website called Melty. It is a French website that has spoilers and articles about many different movies, books, and TV shows. One of our own, **chocolamalo**, sent me a link to the website today. I'd never heard of it before, but I was delighted to find that they mentioned "Coming Home" in an article about the 100 fanfictions! It's just a brief mentioning of the fanfic, but it's still there. _"Entitled 'Coming Home," a fanfiction by .Obessions. Melody tells us the story, sent to Earth after murdering a man on the Ark." _How crazy is that!? Thank you to everyone who reads/favorites/follows/reviews! 3

**Chapter Seventeen **

Raven Reyes was probably the most gifted person Melody had ever met.

With Finn in the clear, their young mechanic threw herself into overdrive and began planning more efficient ways to communicate with the Ark. She was constantly throwing around big words that nobody seemed to understand. Even Monty, their little techie miracle worker, had trouble following Raven's train of thought. Nevertheless, he was delighted to able to have an intelligent conversation with someone who spoke geek.

Both of them spent hours and hours in the dropship over the next few days, trying to hatch up some plan to get in touch with the Ark. They worked day and night, hardly sleeping and only eating when they were forced to. Whenever someone voiced their concerns about the pair working too hard, either Monty or Raven would claim they were 'on the verge of a breakthrough.' And that would shut everyone up for a minute or two.

More often than not, Melody joined them as well. The three of them passed the time by laughing and talking about nothing of importance. The animosity between Melody and Raven had begun steadily decreasing until, after a few days, it was no longer there at all. As far as Melody was concerned, Raven was no longer an outsider who posed a threat to their little group. Any of Melody's doubts faded away the moment she saw Raven break down over the thought of losing Finn. While she had initially thought of Raven as being the type of person to come in and take control, Melody soon realized that she had been very wrong.

Raven didn't just want to force her way into things; she wanted to belong.

No amount of explanations could help anyone understand exactly what Raven and Monty were trying to do. From what Melody gathered, they were going to try Monty's idea of re-wiring the flat screen monitor in the dropship to make visual contact with the Ark. Then, they were going to fix up the radio and connect its wiring to the wiring in the monitor. The extra headsets from the cargo pod would allow them to hear and talk to whoever was on the other side of the screen. The end goal was to be seen and heard on the Ark's supercomputer.

The process of re-wiring everything was drawn out over several days. Melody kept everyone's spirits high to the best of her abilities. Whenever Raven and Monty began to get frustrated, Melody reminded them of how successful they'd been when repairing the waterlogged radio. If she couldn't do anything else, she could at least boost the morale. And by the fifth or sixth time she'd reassured them that they could do it, things started to look up.

Piece by piece it all came together. The revival of the monitor was their first success. After spending more than a full day fiddling with its components, Monty managed to get the screen to turn on. The screen was bright blue and it read 'NO SIGNAL,' but it was still functioning and that was all they'd hoped for. When they'd hooked it up to the radio, the screen had gone from bright blue to a dark grey, as if only waiting for someone on the other side to make a connection. The final step was contacting the Ark and having them set up their own systems accordingly. The engineers on the Ark had worked to boost their signal connect their systems. For a long time they held their breath and waited, not knowing if their make-shift mess of wires and technology was even going to be functional. But it was.

Three long days after they'd begun working, the screen had jumped to life. On the screen was Chancellor Jaha and Doctor Abby Griffin, who both looked surprised and pleased to see a handful of teenage faces staring back at them. After initial shouts of surprise and lots of hugging, the three of them had called Clarke and Bellamy into the room. After a few short words between the leaders of the Ark and the leaders of the 100, people began to reserve slots.

Everyone was going to get the chance to talk with their families.

Melody paced outside of the tent, anxiously awaiting the moment when she would see her mother.

For the last two days, people had been going in and out of what was now deemed the communications tent in order to speak with their parents. Each family was permitted between fifteen and thirty minutes in front of the screen. When it came to the older campers, they usually didn't hang around much longer than necessary. There was bad blood between a lot of the delinquents and their parents. And if they were on good terms with their families, that made things even more painful. No one wanted to stick around long enough to get too attached when they knew that their time on Earth could be limited.

The younger campers tended to take more time than that, but no one really bothered them or their parents. At almost eighteen years old, Melody could hardly handle all of the horrors that had been thrown her way. She couldn't even imagine what it was like to be fourteen or fifteen in this crazy world. The younger campers had been so brave, and so they were rewarded by getting a few extra minutes to prolong their tearful goodbyes.

Melody had chosen a time slot after Miles, a particularly cheerful young boy, on purpose. She knew that he would want to spend as much time talking to his parents as possible, as did the rest of the young campers. But she also knew that he took everything in stride. It seemed that the boy's positive demeanor could never falter. So Melody knew that when he walked out of the tent, he would be smiling, not crying. And maybe that would motivate her to do the same.

Melody was more anxious than anything else. It had been four years since she'd last seen her mother since prisoners in solitary weren't allowed visitation. Four long, lonely years. The last time Melody had seen her mother, she'd only been a child. How many nights had she lain awake in her cell, dreaming about this day? And now, it was finally here. It just seemed so tragic that the two of them were going to be reunited when she was just months from adulthood.

What would it be like to hear her mother's voice again? Melody had spent more nights than she could remember trying to re-create that soft, soothing tone in her mind. However, she had never gotten it quite right. The memories of her mother's voice just could not compare to the real thing. And her smile…Melody recalled her mother's warm, welcoming smile as if she'd just seen it yesterday. A smile that she thought she would never live to see again. A smile that would surely be Melody's undoing.

But what if she didn't smile? What if she frowned, or scowled, or glared? What if she was angry over what had happened to Jason? What if she refused to even see Melody at all? What if she was _disappointed? _What if, what if, what if…

Melody didn't know if she could handle having disappointed her mother, the only person in the world who had always been there for her. She could take anger and she could take resentment…but disappointment? Nothing would hurt her more. Melody would take getting punched in the face a hundred times. She would take the betrayed look in Clarke's eyes a thousand. And she would take getting stabbed a _million_ times if it meant she didn't have to see the look of disappointment on her mother's face.

It would truly be the undoing of Melody Pond.

"Melody?"

She whipped around and saw Miles exiting the tent. At only fifteen years old, he towered over Melody by four or five inches. His hair was a sandy blonde color and his eyes one of those bright, almost transparent blues.. As he drew closer, Melody saw the unmistakable glistening of the tears that he had hastily tried to wipe away. Miles, the optimist, had been crying. The boy who could handle anything life threw at them. His unbreakable spirit had been Melody's only real motivation to hold herself together.

_Damn it, Miles_, thought Melody angrily. _Why'd you have to cry? _

"Your mother would like to speak to you."

With the moment of truth finally upon her, Melody nodded and began to walk towards the tent. Each step felt heavier than the next, as if she were weighed down by lead. _Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, don't be nervous, _she chanted over and over again. _This is __**mom.**_But the words provided no comfort for Melody, who was letting irrational fears get the best of her.

When she passed Miles, Melody reached out and gently touched his arm. The young boy looked down at Melody with a sad smile. His hand reached over and brushed against hers for a moment before he pulled away and continued walking. No amount of reassuring smiles or comforting caresses would be able to soothe their troubled minds tonight.

Now standing in front of the tent, Melody drew in a deep breath. Her nerves were frazzled and her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She was torn between trying to be the person that her mother remembered -the weak, delicate flower who had minded the rules, had refused to rock the boat, and who shied away from the spotlight- and the person that she truly was; a strong, passionate woman who played by her _own_ rules, who said what she felt without abandon, and who threw herself into the heart of every oncoming storm.

Melody desperately wanted to fall back into old patterns, but found that she couldn't. When she tried to channel her younger and more docile self, nothing happened. Melody the child and Melody the grounder were two very different people. The part of Melody that had lived on the Ark died long before she'd even made it to Earth. She couldn't get in touch with that side of her, because there was nothing left to get in touch with.

_Don't worry. She'll like you, _said a small voice in the back of her head. _And if she doesn't, you've got nearly a hundred people who do._

That little reminder was all it took for Melody to regain her confidence. There was a camp full of people that accepted and openly embraced her, flaws and all. They didn't care that she wasn't perfect; they just cared about _her. _And in return, Melody had a special place in her heart for each and every camper. Slowly, she was beginning to realize what the word family meant. You didn't need blood to be family.Over the last few months, the 100 had been put through hell. Yet they remained united. When they experienced loss, they experienced it _together._ When they triumphed, they triumphed _together._ They stood together, they fought together, and they fell together.

It may not have seemed like much, but it was good enough for Melody. And it made her realize that if Grace Pond couldn't accept her for the slightly rough-edged person that she'd become, then maybe the older woman should take a page from the delinquents. Because they were the best family that Melody had ever known.

With her head held high, Melody finally took the finally plunge and ducked into the tent.

The first thing she saw was the oversized monitor, which was sitting upon a large, wooden table that took up most of the tent's floor space. Like every other table in camp, this one was a bit uneven and in dire need of a good sanding. On one side of the table were two chairs, both constructed out of seats from the dropship. An unlit lantern, which was little more than a bit of animal fat in a glass jar, rested on one side of the table.

In the middle of the table was the big screen that had once been mounted in the dropship in order to deliver the chancellor's last message. Now, it was re-wired as a two-way communication system. The screen was facing away from Melody when she walked in. For a few moments there was just silence as she half-heartedly debated just slipping back out of the tent, unnoticed. But then, she heard the breathing.

It was a soft and hardly noticeable sound, but it didn't surpass Melody's fine-tuned hearing. It was almost too easy to imagine her mother sitting on the other side of that screen, waiting for her. And suddenly Melody felt extremely guilty as she imagined the hurt look on her mother's face if she'd been stood up.

_It's now or never. _

Melody crossed the tent and sat down at the table. Her eyes flickered towards the headset in front of her. Picking it up, Melody took a few moments to fit the set to the shape of her head. And then she took her time adjusting the microphone accordingly. When there was finally nothing left to do, Melody looked up and her eyes locked onto the screen before her.

"Mom?"

The woman staring back at Melody was, without a doubt, different from the woman in her memories. The Grace Pond she knew had been small and frail and afraid of every little thing. You would find her cowering in a corner before you'd find her standing up for herself. Melody had always been the strong one, despite Grace's attempts to mold her into some skittish, fragile shell of a girl. She _had _to be the strong one. But now…there was something very different about the way Grace Pond carried herself. The way she sat straight and determined and allowed herself to make eye contact. The way she leaned towards the screen slightly and smiled, not hesitantly anymore, but with all the confidence in the world. Rather than weak and defenseless as she'd always been described, Melody's mother seemed almost…normal.

Grace sat straight and watched Melody with a curious look on her face, as if she were having the same exact thoughts.

"Melody." Grace greeted softly, her face slowly breaking out in a wide smile. "It's you. It's _really _you. I mean, they told me you went to Earth, but…I never thought I would see you again." She admitted in a whisper, staring at Melody with a look of wonder and awe on her face.

"It's really me." Agreed Melody with a slight nod as she stared back at this foreign woman. "Disappointed?" The words were accompanied by a small laugh, but there was an underlying seriousness in her voice.

"Of course not." Her mother said fiercely, shaking her head, as if disappointment was the furthest thing from what she was feeling. "I could never be disappointed in you, Melody." The look of adoration on her mother's face paired with the pure, unadulterated pride in her voice caused Melody to completely loose her composure.

"Not even after I killed him?" She asked doubtfully, not bothering to brush away the tears that were quickly forming. Guilt was riding her hard as she looked at her mother who stared back with only love in those dark brown eyes. "You weren't even the tiniest bit disappointed in me for killing Jason?"

All at once, Grace's demeanor changed. Her gaze darkened and her brow furrowed, her smile instantly turning into a grimace. Her lips were pursed in the stern way of a woman who was rearing up for a lecture. Grace had never been one to lecture her daughter -especially considering how little tolerance her daughter had for being scolded- but time changed things.

Melody bristled and waited for her mother to say whatever it was she needed to say. After all, she'd been expecting this to happen as soon as she sat down. Reaching up, she brushed away the fallen tears and silently cursed herself for letting her emotions get the better of her.

"Melody Ann Pond, I don't _ever_ want you to regret what you did to him." Grace said, so malevolently that it caused Melody's eyes to widen in surprise. "You did what you had to do. Jason Evans was not the man everyone thought he was. And if I had known that he…that he _defiled_ you," Grace's face was red with anger by his point, and her voice had quieted to a deadly hiss. Melody had never seen this side of her mother before, and it both unnerved and pleased her. "I wouldn't have been so merciless. He was a sick, twisted man and he got exactly what was coming to him."

For a few moments Melody just stared at her mother in shock. Never once had she heard Grace talk in such a manner. This couldn't be her quiet, timid mother. The woman Melody had known would have sooner cut out her own tongue than speak ill about the man she'd once loved. Perhaps she'd never voiced her opinion not out of loyalty, but out of fear. And now, with no one to stop her, Grace Pond's true colors were showing.

Melody couldn't have been more astounded, nor could she had been more proud of her mother.

"No one deserves to die, Mom." Melody finally said in a ragged voice that was choked with emotion.

"You didn't deserve what he did to you. I didn't deserve what he did to me. We don't _deserve _a lot of things, Melody, but that doesn't mean we can stop them from happening." Argued Grace. "If he could do something so horrid to you, who's to say he couldn't do it again? Maybe he didn't deserve _death,_ but Karma's a bitch and there's no way to avoid her."

"Mom…"

"We're not arguing about this, Melody." Said Grace firmly. "Stop blaming yourself for his death. He's not worth the guilt you're putting yourself through."

"But-"

"No buts. You need to move on, baby." A soothing edge crept into Grace's voice. "God knows I have."

And so, she was forgiven.

Knowing that her mother didn't blame her for Jason's death seemed to lift an invisible weight off of Melody's chest. The guilt she felt didn't disappear, but it did lessen. Maybe the reason Melody had felt so bad about what she'd done was because of Grace. In the blink of an eye, Grace had lost both her daughter and her boyfriend. As if she hadn't suffered enough already…But her losses didn't seem to destroy Grace Pond. In fact, they seemed to make her stronger.

"When did you become such a hard-ass?" Melody stared at her mother incredulously. The change in Grace was unbelievable. She'd never been the type of woman to speak her mind, and so passionately at that.

"When I didn't have you to be strong for me." Grace said softly, the small smile spreading across her face once more.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I wish I could've-"

"No, Melody. It was a good thing." Assured Grace. "I never acted like a true mother to you and for that, _I'm _sorry. I wanted to make you into someone just like me; a quiet, timid, fragile woman who did not have a mind of her own. I was just so afraid for you. You've always had that defiant glint in your eye. And on the Ark, defiance is a death sentence."

"Don't be sorry. You were just trying to keep me safe. After what happened to dad…" Melody trailed off and shook her head, not able to put her thoughts into words. "Defiance may be a death sentence, but if following the rules without question is what it takes to _live, _then I'd rather be dead."

"Melody, don't say things like that." Pleaded Grace with a frown. "I'd rather you be alive and miserable than dead."

"Mom, you don't understand what it's like down here. _This _is living. What we did on the Ark…that was just surviving." Melody insisted, her voice growing louder and more animated with each word.

"Maybe, but on the Ark you were _safe._ I've heard about the horrible things that plague Earth. Acidic Fog, Savages, Mutated Animals…"

"No, on the Ark I was _contained._ I was bound in chains by their ridiculous rules and regulations. Things have been set in stone for a century. And if there was a threat of change, they silenced the perpetrator. Permanently."

"And on Earth?" Grace asked, partly to humor her daughter and partly because her curiosity was getting the best of her.

"Down here things are different." Insisted Melody, who was encouraged by her mother's interest in how they lived life on the ground. "I speak, and I'm heard. Clarke and Bellamy take our thoughts and opinions into consideration. They rule _for_ the people."

"Clarke _Griffin_? As in Doctor Abby Griffin's daughter?"

"Yes." Confirmed Melody, with a nod. "Clarke and Bellamy are our leaders. They're the ones that make the rules down here. Clarke's also our only doctor, so she runs the infirmary, too."

"And Bellamy _Blake_?" Grace's brow furrowed once more. "The boy from Mecha?"

"You know him?" Asked Melody, surprised. Sure, they Ponds and the Blakes were both families from Mecha, but to Melody's knowledge their paths had never crossed.

"I've never met him, no, but I've heard things about him." Said Grace with a scowl.

"All good things, I gather, considering the overwhelming amount of disgust in your voice." Melody was frowning at her mother now, suddenly feeling very defensive. There was something about the way she said his name -Bellamy _Blake_- with so much revulsion in her voice that angered Melody.

"Melody, I don't want you getting mixed up with someone like Bellamy Blake." Grace said shortly, giving Melody a keen look. "You're a good girl. And that boy is trouble."

Melody stared at her mother, slack-jawed.

"In fact, I don't even want you anywhere _near_ him." Continued Grace, who was sounding bossier by the minute. "That whole family is nothing but trouble. Aurora was a fool for what she did, keeping that unregistered baby. As if the Ark didn't have enough problems with overpopulation." At this, Grace made a clucking noise that sounded something like _tsk-tsk _and shook her head in disapproval. "And her son is an even bigger fool for-"

"Stop it!" Shouted Melody, slamming her fist down on the table so hard that pain shot up through her entire arm. "Don't you dare say such horrible things!"

Grace Pond jumped slightly at the sudden outburst of anger. It wasn't like Melody to speak in such a manner. At least now when she was addressing her own mother. With a small frown, Grace stared at her daughter with a look that was a mixture of surprise and annoyance on her face.

"Melody, you don't understand-" Grace began to speak in a soft, pleading tone, before she was cut off once again.

"I do understand!" Melody was still shouting, unwilling to back down. "I understand that the Ark has brainwashed you, Mom."

"Brainwashed me?" Grace gasped, obviously offended. "Melody Ann, I don't think you know who you're talking to. I am your _mother_ and you will-"

"I am a human being and I will not be silenced because it is convenient for you."

Grace stared at Melody, looking bewildered.

"Your precious Chancellor sent us down here to die. Or did you forget that part?" Melody's gaze narrowed as she looked at her mother, who had the decency to look ashamed.

"Melody, the oxygen supply…" Grace protested weakly.

"Don't defend the man who sentenced me and 99 _children_ to death." Snapped Melody, who was now feeling disgusted as well. "If it wasn't for Bellamy, we probably would be dead right now. He forced us to come together in order to survive. He is the only reason I'm alive right now. Not that my life means anything to you, of course. I mean, me dying was alright if the rest of you got your precious oxygen, right?"

"Melody, I didn't mean it like that." Grace insisted. "I just meant that the Chancellor was doing what he thought he had to."

"And whatever you've heard about Bellamy, he probably did it because he _had_ to. You don't know him, Mom. And you have no right to judge him."

"He shot the Chancellor!" Exclaimed Grace with a helpless sound as she tried to make Melody see her side of things. "You might think you know him, Melody, but you don't. He's a _murderer._"

"The Chancellor's dead?" Asked Melody softly, stunned by her mother's words.

"No, they were able to extract the bullet and save his life." Said Grace with a small frown. "But he could have died, Melody. Bellamy meant to kill him. In cold blood…"

"Is that so different from what I did, Mom?" Demanded Melody. "I killed Jason in cold blood. I'm a murderer, too."

"No, Melody…you did what you had to." Grace sounded unsure once again.

"So did Bellamy!" Melody was too busy defending Bellamy to feel angry about this huge piece of information that he'd been keeping from her.

"What did the Chancellor do to deserve an assassination attempt?"

"He's killed _hundreds of people_!" Shouted Melody, who was disgusted by her mother's loyalty to Jaha. "He killed my father, _your_ husband. He killed Bellamy's mother and locked up his sister. Octavia was coming to Earth, and Bellamy wasn't going to let her go alone. He did what needed to be done in order to protect his family. And contrary to what you believe, family comes before anything else.""

"You have no right to lecture me on the meaning of family, Melody!" Grace was leaning forward now, practically shouting at her daughter. "I gave up _everything_ for you. My _pride,_ my _morals_, my _self-respect…_I didn't stay with Jason because _I_ needed him. I stayed with him because _you_ did."

"I didn't know I was such a burden." Spat Melody, as angry tears began to fill her eyes.

"That's not what I meant! I stayed with him because it was best for my family. If anyone knows how to put their own needs behind those of others, it's me. So don't tell me I don't know that family comes first. You've always come first Melody, and you always will."

"I'm sorry." Said Melody, although she wasn't one hundred percent sure she actually meant it. "I don't want to fight with you, Mom. Not when I've waited so long to talk to you again."

"No, _I'm _sorry. You're the most important person in my life, Melody. And if you say Bellamy Blake is okay…I'll try not to hate him."

"Thanks, Mom." Melody couldn't help but to grin in response to the impish smile on her mother's face. "He's important to me; they all are. I know you see a bunch of criminals, but they're so much more than that."

"Speaking of criminals," Said Grace with a hesitant smile, as she knew that rocking the boat would lead to more trouble, "Have you made any friends?"

Melody laughed at the completely mundane question. "This isn't summer camp, Mom."

"You know what I mean!" Grace scoffed lightly. "I feel better knowing that you're not alone down there."

"I'm not alone. I'm _never_ alone." Melody reassured her with a half-hearted smile. "There's ninety-two of us, you know. For criminals, they're not a bad bunch."

"Melody. Do you have _friends_?" Repeated Grace with a pointed look. It was obvious that Melody was avoiding the question, but that wasn't surprising. The Ponds weren't the type of people who talked about their feelings.

"Geez, Mom. Yes, I _do_ have friends. Clarke, Bellamy, Jasper, Monty, Octavia, Finn…"

"And they're taking good care of you?"

"Yeah. Something like that." Melody smirked slightly.

_If only you knew, Mom…_

"Good. I like knowing you're taken care of. You'll have to tell me-"

They were interrupted by the sound of someone rapping against the tent.

Melody frowned and crossed the distance of the tent, slightly annoyed at being interrupted. She bent down and unzipped the door hastily. A head full of black hair poked through the open doorway, and a warm smile was directed at Melody.

"Hey, Mel." Said Monty, as he moved further into the tent. "How was your talk with your mom?"

"Uh…It's not over yet." Melody said slowly, watching Monty with a small smile. "Has it been thirty minutes already?"

"Oh, sorry. I can totally wait until you're finished." Monty said quickly as he began to move for the door.

"No, Monty, wait." Melody reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. "It's your turn. Let me just say goodbye, alright?"

Melody moved back towards the monitor and quickly slipped on the headset. Her mother was frowning, and it was obvious that she'd heard the two of them talking. Melody could understand her reluctance to let go…It was hard to be torn away from your loved ones once, let alone twice.

"Monty's turn." Explained Melody with a small smile. "I'm supposed to be helping Octavia, anyways…"

"Alright." Grace nodded her head and offered Melody a shaky smile. "I love you, Melody Ann."

"I love you, too, Mom." Melody said gently.

"May we meet again."

"May we meet again."


End file.
